US09364874B2
A temporary hood for capturing vapors exiting from a material storage compartment of a vessel when the compartment is opened includes a base frame that extends around an opening to the compartment and is releasably secured to the vessel. An upper framework is releasably coupled to the base frame and extends upwardly from the vessel around the opening. A plurality of panels is releasably engageable with the upper framework and form an enclosure around the opening. At least one vapor discharge outlet fluidly communicates with the material storage compartment and a vacuum pump to allow the capture of vapors exiting from the opening when the cover is opened and the temporary hood is engaged with the vessel.
US09364872B2
An applicator, related applicator system, and a method for delivering a self-adhesive material are provided. The applicator includes an outer surface, and an inner surface opposite the outer surface. The inner surface of the applicator defines a void that is operable to receive the self-adhesive material. At least a portion of the inner surface releasably adhere the applicator side of the self-adhesive material where the adhesive force between the portion of the inner surface and the applicator side being less than adhesive force between the substrate and the substrate side. The applicator is used by placing the applicator in contact with a substrate, pressing the applicator against the substrate such that the self-adhesive material adheres to the substrate, and releasing the applicator from the substrate.
US09364871B2
A cleaning method for a UV chamber involves providing a first cleaning gas, a second cleaning gas, and a purge gas to one or more openings in the chamber. The first cleaning gas may be an oxygen containing gas, such as ozone, to remove carbon residues. The second cleaning gas may be a remote plasma of NF3 and O2 to remove silicon residues. The UV chamber may have two UV transparent showerheads, which together with a UV window in the chamber lid, define a gas volume proximate the UV window and a distribution volume below the gas volume. A purge gas may be flowed through the gas volume while one or more of the cleaning gases is flowed into the distribution volume to prevent the cleaning gases from impinging on the UV transparent window.
US09364869B2
A turret-type cleaning apparatus for using cleaning liquid, and deburring and cleaning a workpiece includes: cleaning tools for spraying the liquid onto the workpiece and deburring and/or cleaning it; a turret head freely turnable and where the tools are attached; a turret drive device connected to the head and for turning the head; a cleaning chamber where the head is arranged; a cleaning bath installed in the chamber; a drain port openably and closably provided below the bath and for draining the liquid from the bath; a first cleaning liquid supply flow passage configured to supply the liquid to one of the tools; a second cleaning liquid supply flow passage for supplying the liquid to the bath; and a cleaning liquid supply source for supplying the liquid to the first cleaning liquid supply flow passage and the second cleaning liquid supply flow passage.
US09364868B2
An adjustable stock assembly for a fluid spray gun can be adjusted to have a different profile shape; and/or to have a different rotational position relative to the rest of the spray gun; and/or to have a different length relative to the rest of the spray gun; and/or to have a different tilt angle relative to the rest of the spray gun.
US09364853B2
The present invention relates to methods of modifying the chemical structure of a surface by covalently attaching molecules containing desired functional groups on the surface using plasma energy. In these methods, chemical compounds containing the desired functional groups and having a vapor pressure lower than 0.001 bar are exposed in the plasma chamber together with the substrate. Surface area of the chemical compound is optimized to generate adequate evaporation rate. The modification of the substrate surface is achieved in a plasma state generated from the vapor of the chemical compounds; while the evaporation of the chemical compounds is accelerated by the plasma energy. Methods for producing non-fouling surface by covalently attaching ethylene glycol oligomers on the surface are disclosed.
US09364851B2
The present invention provides a roller coating method for production of patterned insulation board used for building exterior wall. In this method, a metal veneer and a substrate are produced firstly, and a pattern is printed on the metal veneer, and then an insulation layer is added between the metal veneer and the substrate to produce the patterned insulation board which is finally arranged onto the wall body. In this way, the defect that an decorative layer has to be arranged after installation of an insulation board is avoided (it is inconvenient to directly print a pattern on the insulation board arranged on the wall body by making use of the roller coating production line, so the existing insulation board is generally less decorative and unaesthetic), and the integration of decoration and insulation is realized.
US09364846B2
A circuit for liquid atomizing device coupled to an atomizing module is disclosed. The circuit for liquid atomizing device includes a conversion unit, a control unit and a voltage adjustment unit. The control unit is coupled to the conversion unit and controls the conversion unit to output a transforming voltage. The voltage adjustment unit is coupled between the conversion unit and the atomizing module. The voltage adjustment unit according to the transforming voltage outputs a driving voltage to the atomizing module. The driving voltage includes a plurality of electrolysis sections and a plurality of negative level sections. Each electrolysis section indicates that the atomizing module produces a forward electrolysis reaction. Each negative level section indicates that the atomizing module produces a backward electrolysis reaction.
US09364830B2
It is described a microfluidic device, for use in the field of analytical fluorescence based assays and, in particular, in FISH assays.
US09364826B2
The present invention discloses an arrangement provided with a chip body having a fluid channel and configured such that an end portion of the fluid channel is opened in a surface of the chip body, and a sheet-like seal member which covers at least the opening in the surface of the chip body for bringing the inside of the fluid channel to a sealed state. The seal member is constituted of laminated sheet members including a first sheet member having a ductility and an elasticity capable of forming a hole therein with use of a nozzle member, and a second sheet member having a lower ductility than the first sheet member. The sheet members adjoining each other are adhered to each other by an adhesive or a tackifier. The second sheet member is disposed on the chip body side than the first sheet member.
US09364824B2
An ion-exchange membrane is provided, and the fibers of the ion-exchange membrane are obtained by electrospinning. The electrospinning solution contains 100 parts by weight of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), 10-100 parts by weight of a modifier, 10-100 parts by weight of an ion exchanger, and 100-2,500 parts by weight of water. The modifier has a reactive group that can react with the hydroxyl groups of the PVA. The ion exchanger has a polar functional group that can form hydrogen bonds with the hydroxyl groups of the PVA, and has an anion group that can provide ion-exchange ability.
US09364821B2
This invention is related to a functional inorganic-organic hybrid nanocomposite structured with boron. With the present invention, a nanosized material is obtained with enhanced UV and Visible region activity wherein metal-oxide nanoparticle combinations with boron compounds are used.
US09364818B2
A zeolite structure is provided which has partition walls composed of a zeolite ion-exchanged with a metal ion and forming a plurality of cells extending from one end face of the zeolite structure to its other end face and functioning as a passage of fluid and which has a honeycomb shape. The content per unit zeolite amount of the metal ion in the surface portion of the partition wall is larger than the content per unit zeolite amount of the metal ion in the inner portion of the partition wall and is preferably 1.1 to 5.0 times the content per unit zeolite amount of the metal ion in the inner portion of the partition wall.
US09364817B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an oxide catalyst that prevents the reduction degradation of the catalyst even during industrial operation for a long time and less reduces unsaturated aldehyde yields, diolefin yields, or unsaturated nitrile yields, and a method for producing the same, and methods for producing unsaturated aldehyde, diolefin, and unsaturated nitrile using the oxide catalyst. The present invention provides an oxide catalyst for use in the production of unsaturated aldehyde, diolefin, or unsaturated nitrile from olefin and/or alcohol, the oxide catalyst satisfying the following (1) to (3): (1) the oxide catalyst comprises molybdenum, bismuth, iron, cobalt, and an element A having an ion radius larger than 0.96 Å (except for potassium, cesium, and rubidium); (2) an atomic ratio a of the bismuth to 12 atoms of the molybdenum is 1≦a≦5, an atomic ratio b of the iron to 12 atoms of the molybdenum is 1.5≦b≦6, an atomic ratio c of the element A to 12 atoms of the molybdenum is 1≦c≦5, and an atomic ratio d of the cobalt to 12 atoms of the molybdenum is 1≦d≦8; and (3) the oxide catalyst comprises a disordered phase consisting of a crystal system comprising the molybdenum, the bismuth, the iron, and the element A.
US09364813B2
The soot generator comprises a combustion chamber (11), in which fuel (16) can be burnt with an oxidizing agent (21) in at least one soot particle-producing flame (33), a fuel feed line (15) for supplying fuel (16) to the combustion chamber (11), a soot removal line (36), which is connected to the combustion chamber (11), into which soot removal line quenching gas (38) can be conducted and out of which soot particles can be transported, and a heating device (25-31) for heating the fuel feed line (15) at at least one heating location (15a).
US09364807B2
The invention relates to a component (4) of a biosensor, comprising at least one first device (6) for receiving a sample liquid, wherein the device (6) is connected via a distributor channel (7) to further receiving devices (8 to 11), into each of which a feed channel (71, 72, 73, 74) branching off from the distributor channel (7) opens, and the feed channels (71, 72, 73, 74) are arranged in succession in flow direction (S) of the sample liquid passed on through the distributor channel (7). In accordance with the invention, it is envisaged that, in the distributor channel (7), in each case between two immediately successive feed channels (71, 72; 72, 73; 73, 74) in flow direction (S), at least one region (K) for at least temporary slowing or stoppage of the capillary flow of the sample liquid has been inserted. It is thus possible to control the capillary flow of the sample liquid such that always only one receiving device (8, 9, 10, 11) is filled with the volume flow of sample liquid available before the next is filled, and effectively simultaneous filling of the receiving devices (8, 9, 10, 11) is prevented. This leads to rapid and complete filling of the respective receiving device (8, 9, 10, 11). Additionally presented is a process with which the regions (K) can be inserted into the distributor channel (7) in a simple manner.
US09364802B2
The subject of the present invention is an apparatus for the intermixing of a fluid stream with a fluid stream, which comprises a pipe through which the fluid stream is routed, at least two distributors for delivering the fluid stream being arranged inside the pipe, this arrangement of the distributors being made possible by bores in the casing of the pipe, and these distributors having a free flow cross section which is constant or decreases continuously, as seen in the main direction of flow of the fluid, and the distributors having one or more rows of holes for delivering the fluid into the fluid.
US09364801B2
An apparatus for batched mixing of an additive component from individual components for mixture products containing the additive component and for temporarily storing the additive component, which is part of a mixer for forming the mixture products by mixing an additive component with a base component includes a single batch tank connected by at least a control valve and/or a proportioning valve to connections supplying the individual components for proportioned introduction of the individual components. The single batch tank is connected to a mixing and buffer tank arranged on a level below the single batch tank for temporary storage of the mixed additive component.
US09364800B2
There is provided an aerosol generating device including a storage portion configured to store an aerosol-forming substrate. The device includes a vaporizer configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate, a capillary material configured to convey the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the storage portion towards the vaporizer by capillary action, and a porous material between the capillary material and the vaporizer.
US09364798B2
An antimicrobial supply system employs a process water supply and incorporates a metallic ion supply connected to the process water supply to provide a high ion concentrate to an output. A dilution reservoir is connected to the metallic ion supply output and has an input from the process water supply. A pump is connected to an output of the reservoir. A manifold connected to the pump provides a dilute concentrate to at least one washing system and a recirculation loop to the dilution reservoir for enhanced mixing of the dilute concentrate. An electronics control module is connected to a first flow controller between the process water supply and the metallic ion supply and a second flow controller between the metallic ion supply and the reservoir for dilution control establishing a desired metallic ion concentration.
US09364797B2
The present invention relates to the production of high flux hollow fiber ultrafiltration membrane prepared from poly(acrylonitrile-co-methacrylic acid), (polysulfone and poly(acrylonitrile-co-methacrylic acid)) and (polysulfone and ion exchange resin (sulfonated polystyrene-divinyl benzene copolymer)) blend and the point-of-use filtration unit there from for water purification and disinfection. The produced membrane has an active layer with pore size which effectively rejects pathogens and other bacteria from contaminated water while allowing the passage of water to produce biologically pure water for drinking. Therefore, the present invention relates to development of hollow fiber ultrafiltration membrane that delivers biologically pure water at a desirable rate, that is at a rate 25-200 liters/m2.h. The membrane performance in terms of flux and rejection efficiency is dependent on polymer material type and surface properties. The hollow fiber membrane with interpenetrated structure prepared from a blend of polysulfone and a copolymer of acrylonitrile and methacrylic acid is advantageous over the membranes made either from polysulfone or the copolymer alone in terms of durability, strength, elasticity, smoothness, flux, separation efficiency, fouling resistance properties. The surface modified blend membranes with acid groups which have smaller pore size and surface charge exhibit further improvement in the separation efficiency. Using the hollow fiber membranes a point-of-use water filtration unit which is simple, compact, inexpensive device that does not require electricity has been developed to produce 150-300 ml/min product water when attached to a tab from overhead tank of about 3 meter height.
US09364796B2
The present invention relates to a hydrophobic or oleophobic microporous polymer membrane having a structurally induced drip-off effect, to methods for producing the membrane according to the invention, to the use of the membrane in the sterile filtration of gaseous fluids, and to the use of the membrane as a liquid barrier in liquid-containing systems to be vented.
US09364785B2
A dehumidifying tower having a washing section, a flash-distilling section, and a condensing section. In the washing section, exhaust gas is washed with a cooling liquid to remove at least a portion of solid dust entrained in the exhaust gas, cool the exhaust gas, and condense at least a portion of moisture in the exhaust gas into liquid. The flash-distilling section flash-distills the cooling liquid used in the washing section to produce a cooled cooling liquid and a cooling liquid vapor. Cooling liquid produced by flash-distillation enters the washing section. The flash-distilling section is in gas-phase isolation from the washing section. The condensing section condenses the cooling liquid vapor produced by flash-distillation. The condensing section is configured to be in gas-phase communication with and liquid-phase isolation from the flash-distilling section, and be in both gas-phase and liquid-phase isolation from the washing section.
US09364784B2
An emission gas treatment apparatus recovers a recycle feed containing boron from emission gas discharged by a glass melting furnace. The apparatus includes a collection device for collecting a component containing boron from the emission gas by a wet process to obtain a collected liquid, a first filter for separating the collected liquid into a solid and a liquid, and an ion-exchange resin for forming a boron solution by removing an impurity from an extracted liquid obtained in the first filter. The apparatus also includes a mixing tank for mixing an extracted solid obtained in the first filter in the boron solution to form an extracted solid-containing solution, a second filter for separating the extracted solid-containing solution into a solid and a liquid, and a vacuum dryer for recovering the recycle feed from an extracted solid obtained in the second filter.
US09364779B2
The method and equipment relates to the measurement of deflections of filter sectors in a disc filter. The filter discs in the disc filter are constituted by a number of filter sectors, and the distance between a position fixed relative to the filter, most commonly the scraper itself, and the filter surface is conventionally measured by manual measurement methods. The equipment is instead used that has a measuring head with a quick-release coupling for its mounting fixed in the filter, and a position sensor in the measuring head that measures the distance between the measurement arrangement and the surface of the filter disc in order to form momentary measurement results. The momentary measurement results are transferred by a data transfer link from the measurement arrangement to a data collection unit PC that has a memory.
US09364774B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a chain structure which has a simple construction and can prevent a chain from being detached from a gear tooth of a sprocket wheel due to a great wave force and prevent the chain and a flight plate from dropping so as to break members of the chain and the flight plate and the other portions of the chain structure.For accomplishing the object in a chain structure (40) provided with a sprocket wheel (6) in which a plurality of gear teeth capable of engaging with a chain (42) are formed in an outer peripheral portion, and the chain (42) in which a pair of side plate members (18, 20, 44) facing to each other are coupled in an endless manner at plural sets in a length direction.
US09364771B2
Condensing apparatuses and their use in various heat and mass exchange systems are generally described. The condensing apparatuses, such as bubble column condensers, may employ a heat exchanger positioned external to the condensing vessel to remove heat from a bubble column condenser outlet stream to produce a heat exchanger outlet stream. In certain cases, the condensing apparatus may also include a cooling device positioned external to the vessel configured and positioned to remove heat from the heat exchanger outlet stream to produce a cooling device outlet stream. The condensing apparatus may be configured to include various internal features, such as a vapor distribution region and/or a plurality of liquid flow control weirs and/or chambers within the apparatus having an aspect ratio of at least 1.5. A condensing apparatus may be coupled with a humidifier to form part of a desalination system, in certain cases.
US09364770B2
A portable biodiesel manufacturing or processing plant for processing on continuous basis a raw plant based oil feedstock to form biodiesel.
US09364744B2
In a method and system of providing in-game assets for location-based actions, an indication of a performance of a location-based action by a player of a computer-implemented game is received. A virtual item is provided based on the receiving of the indication of the performance of the location-based action by the player of the computer-implemented game, the virtual item being usable within the computer-implemented game.
US09364740B2
An apparatus for playing marbles games. The apparatus is a circular or polygonal playing board or ring, which encompasses a playing surface. A top ring extends above the playing board along its outer circumference, and may extend over the outer perimeter of the playing board, allowing marbles struck off the playing surface to pass underneath into a marble collection mechanism. Marbles drop onto a sloped guide track, and then roll down to one of a plurality of collections slots.
US09364737B1
The visual sports score seesaw device includes a miniature seesaw that includes a pair of rival teams and/or mascot-related indicia to be provided on distal ends of the seesaw. The base of the seesaw includes a first score and a second score to be entered in order to reflect the final score of an important rival game. Moreover, the rival team that won the important rival game is raised upwardly while the losing rival team is lowered. An embodiment may include a manual score adjustment knob for both the first score and the second score. Another embodiment may include an electronic display to be used and inputted for the first score and the second score.
US09364736B1
Disclosed are computational features in a system for the evaluation of players and non-player factors in a team game. Evaluating the contributions of individual game factors toward a plurality of team game event results is provided with the method including calculating, using a computer, a best-fit solution to a system of equations using the category-specific factor states among all factor categories as independent variables and the quantifiable event results as dependent variables, the solution assigning a contribution value to at least one of the category-specific factor states, each of the contribution values representing an estimation of the contribution of the corresponding category-specific factor state toward each of the event results having the category-specific factor state present during the event.
US09364733B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a toss game. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a toss game is provided that may comprise a toss object; a vertical support having a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion adapted to support the vertical support in a vertical position; and a first receptacle disposed on the vertical support, the receptacle having a first game score value and adapted to receive the toss object and allow the toss object to come to rest within the receptacle; and a second receptacle disposed on the vertical support, the second receptacle having a second game score value and adapted to receive the toss object.
US09364732B2
A tossing game is disclosed. The game can comprise two stations, and each station can comprise a plurality of targets. The targets can comprise an opening, and players can attempt to toss tossing articles into the openings of the targets. Scoring for the game can be implemented in a number of ways. In one method, for example, points can be awarded for each target based on whether a first player or second player was the most recent player to toss a tossing article into that target. The number of points awarded can be a function of a given point value assigned to that target. The game can be played in a variety of ways, and can provide seemingly endless hours of fun and entertainment.
US09364729B2
A golf club head comprising a channel and an expandable weight that can be removably fixed at any point within the channel is disclosed herein. The weight comprises at least an upper portion, a lower portion, and a bolt, and preferably is formed of a metal material co-molded with a polymeric material such as rubber. The channel has an opening with a width that is less than the width of both an inner part of the channel and the weight, such that the weight cannot fall out of the channel during use. The channel may also have an end that opens into a port, which can be filled with a plug or weight screw to prevent the weight from falling out of the channel, and also can be removed so that the weight can be removed and replaced with another expandable weight.
US09364725B2
The present invention concerns a set of golf club heads having progressive head sizing such that the size of the club heads in the set decreases as the loft angle of the club heads increases; and golf club sets including such club heads. The present invention also concerns weighting systems for use with the progressively sized club head set.
US09364723B2
A golf club incorporating an interchangeable shaft system includes a shaft, a shaft sleeve, a club head. The shaft sleeve is coupled to an end of the shaft and is received in a hosel included in the club head. The shaft sleeve is removably coupled to the club head. Hosel and shaft sleeve alignment features provide discrete orientations between the shaft and club head.
US09364722B1
A method for printing an image at multiple positions on a golf ball is disclosed herein. The plurality of locations for the image is preferably ten. The image is preferably a pentagon. The image is alternatively a hexagon or a circle.
US09364713B2
Described herein is a gym exercise controller device that configures workout routines. The controller allows the user to create a daily workout regimen and also incorporates a workout skip calculation. The controller tracks the performance of a user on the respective exercises apparatuses and provides the user an option to change his/her workout routine based on a performance parameter of the user as well as a comparison of the user's performance parameter to the performance parameter of a group of users.
US09364711B1
A muscle exercising apparatus including an elongated housing having two interrelated longitudinally elongated parts movable relatively away from one another to push laterally against body muscle, and a spring and slider combination operatively connected with the housing and relatively movable to control spread positioning of two housing parts, as the slider is displaced lengthwise of the housing parts.
US09364709B2
A compact portable leg exercise apparatus includes a top platform, a base member, a resilient member and a frame assembly interposed between the top platform and base member. The apparatus is sized to receive a foot onto the top platform to move the top platform relative to the base member and against a force provided by the resilient member as the apparatus is moved to the collapsed position. The apparatus is sized to fit in carryon luggage, handbag, backpack or be hand-carried, allowing for its use anywhere. The frame assembly aligns the top platform and base member and inhibits twisting motion of the top platform relative to the base member, thereby constraining the motion of travel for the apparatus. The frame assembly can include a plurality of hinged leaf pairs shaped to inhibit generation of noise by the frame assembly as it moves to the collapsed configuration during use of the exercise apparatus. The exercise apparatus is light weight, small, quiet and stable, allowing for it use at home, the office, in public, in the airplane, or even within a vehicle.
US09364703B1
A multi-grip exercise weight apparatus includes a weight plate pivotally attached to a bar handle such that the weight plate is pivotable in both angular directions. A grip ring is disposed around the perimeter of the weight plate. A plurality of support spokes extend from a central hub on the weight plate radially outwardly to the grip ring. A plurality of different grip regions are defined on the grip ring between adjacent support spokes. An end handle may be attached to the weight plate to provide a looped kettlebell-type grip.
US09364695B2
The trolley is used in a fall arrest system and comprises a frame, a channel formed within the frame for engagement therein of a lifeline, and a self-blocking mechanism carried by the frame. The self-blocking mechanism comprises a brake movable between a braking position wherein the brake extends within the channel for frictionally engaging the lifeline; and an enabling position wherein the brake clears the channel for clearing the lifeline. The self-blocking mechanism also comprises a manually operable enabling actuator connected to the brake and capable of forcing the brake towards the enabling position. The self-blocking actuator further comprises a fall arrest actuator distinct from the brake and from the enabling actuator, and connected to the brake, the fall arrest actuator being movable with respect to the frame in a direction transversal to the channel between a fall position wherein the fall arrest actuator forces the brake towards the braking position and an idle position wherein the fall arrest actuator does not force the brake towards the braking position, with the fall arrest actuator capable of overriding the enabling actuator to force the brake towards the braking position.
US09364693B2
A glass breaking tool for breaking glass mounted in a window, may include an attachment plate for attaching the glass breaking tool to an interior wall adjacent to the glass and a sliding shaft cooperating with the attachment plate to rotate and extend and retract with respect to the attachment plate in order to break the glass. The sliding shaft may include a cutting edge to break the glass.
US09364692B2
An inflatable lifesaving device is designed to provide a user with an apparatus to escape a high rise building in emergency situations in a sufficiently rapid manner. It is simply composed of a hemisphere including a plurality of independent cell airbags, internal hoses, and check valves, a parachute integrated with the hemisphere, an air supply system, an external hose, a quick release hose coupler, a harness mounted on the body of the user, a connection rope that connects the harness to the inside of the building, a rope quick release to separate the connection rope, a descent rope, a backpack. To operate the inflatable lifesaving device, the user wearing the harness with the backpack exits a window or a balcony with the harness connected to the inside of the building through the connection rope with the release device. The air supply system is then turned on and high pressure air inflates and opens up the hemisphere and the parachute so that they are gradually formed from the back of the user to the front, and eventually the user is surrounded by them. after that, the external hose and the connection rope are released. As a result, the user will move down with the hemisphere and the parachute.
US09364676B2
A biventricular cardiac stimulator has a right-ventricular sensing unit, having or connected to a terminal for a right-ventricular sensing electrode, a left-ventricular sensing unit, having or connected to a terminal for a left-ventricular sensing electrode, and a pacemaker timer, which is connected to the right-ventricular sensing unit and the left-ventricular sensing unit. The cardiac stimulator has a programmable automatic switch, which is effectively connected to the pacemaker timer to switch the pacemaker timer optionally between a primarily right-ventricular control and a primarily left-ventricular control, as well as an evaluation unit, which is effectively connected to the switch and is designed to detect and evaluate at least one stability parameter that is characteristic of the stability of the electrode position of the left-ventricular sensing electrode, whereby the programmable automatic switch is designed to automatically switch the pacemaker timer control as a function of a value of the detected stability parameter.
US09364675B2
An intracorporeal capsule for placement in a heart and for energy harvesting using blood pressure variations is shown and described. The capsule includes a capsule body and a piezoelectric strip coupled to a rigid surface for receiving blood pressure force. The piezoelectric strip is normally perpendicular to the direction of the force on the rigid surface. The piezoelectric strip is disconnected from the capsule body along at least two edges of the piezoelectric strip such that the blood pressure force can move the rigid surface, and thereby deform the piezoelectric strip for energy harvesting.
US09364670B2
Methods, systems, and/or devices for selecting spinal cord stimulation (SCS) electrode array configurations to provide effective cardiac therapy. Physiological parameters related to the heart may be monitored and analyzed during the delivery of SCS using various SCS electrode array configurations to determine an effect SCS electrode array configuration.
US09364667B1
A system and method for potentiating or eliciting an erotic sensation in a body using electrostimulation includes a controller for producing an electrical stimulation signal and at least two electrodes. The electrodes are adapted for placement on a body surface, for which at least one of the electrodes is used to potentiate or elicit an erotic sensation in the body when conveying the electrical stimulation signal from the controller. The electrical stimulation signal is provided in an amount and manner incorporating a plurality of high frequency pre-pulses prior to, and of narrower pulse width than, a primary pulse in the electrostimulation signal that is adapted to optimize the erotic sensation by limiting both concomitant adverse sensation and habituation at the locus of electrostimulation. The method further increases and decreases the stimulation amplitude responsive to open circuit, short circuit, and target settings.
US09364659B1
Disclosed is a smart lead comprising a large number of micro-electrodes and macro-electrodes. The macro-electrodes are perforated, and contain several through-holes which are used to electrically join them with associated electrode-wires. The radial gaps that separate the macro-electrodes are filled with macro-electrode strips that carry a three-dimensional array of micro-electrodes. The nest of macro-electrodes with electrode-wires and micro-electrode strips are injection molded to form the smart lead. The signals sensed by micro-electrodes are used to locate the target neurons right at the first insertion of the smart lead, thereby greatly reducing the surgical time. A closed loop control software in automates location of the target neuron sites and limit the currents to stimulate only the target neurons, thereby reducing side-effects and increasing battery life.
US09364658B2
An electrical stimulation lead includes a lead body; electrodes disposed along a distal end portion of the lead body; terminals disposed along a proximal end portion of the lead body; conductors electrically coupling the terminals to the electrodes; and anchoring units disposed along the distal end portion of the lead body. First and second anchoring units each have a wide end portion and a narrow end portion. The first anchoring unit is disposed closer to the proximal end portion of the lead body than any of the other anchoring units. The wide end portion of the first anchoring unit is disposed closer to the proximal end portion of the lead body than the narrow end portion. The narrow end portion of the second anchoring unit is disposed closer to the proximal end portion of the lead body than the wide end portion.
US09364650B2
The present invention relates to a method for removing pigments from a pigmented section of a skin by puncturing the skin at the pigmented section, with a skin puncturing device which is provided with at least one needle, and then bandaging the punctured section with a suitable adsorbing pad. The pad contains one or more materials, such as saline, which will cause the pigments at the punctured section to migrate into the outer layer of the skin.
US09364642B2
A catheter for subintimally bypassing an occlusion in a vessel includes a catheter shaft including a guidewire lumen disposed therethrough and having a shaft longitudinal axis, at least two balloons coupled to an exterior of the catheter shaft such that longitudinal axes of the balloons are in a common plane with the shaft longitudinal axis when uninflated and with no external forces on the catheter. The balloons are configured such that when the catheter is disposed in the subintima of a vessel and the balloons are inflated, a tip of the catheter shaft is oriented towards a true lumen of the vessel distal of the occlusion.
US09364640B2
A guidewire for a medical device is disclosed. The guidewire includes an elongate body, a proximal connector assembly, a corewire, and a sensor assembly. The body has an annular wall that defines an interior lumen. The proximal connector assembly is coupled to the body and is configured for connection to a medical positioning system. The corewire extends through the lumen. The sensor assembly located on a distal end of the corewire is electrically connected to the proximal connector assembly. The sensor assembly is configured to generate an electrical signal indicative of a position of the sensor assembly in a reference coordinate system defined in the medical positioning system. The body includes a helical cutout extending over a predetermined length of the body. The helical cutout is configured to increase the flexibility over the predetermined length of the body.
US09364629B2
Various embodiments of a tracheostomy tube having neck flanges with filleted ends are provided. In certain embodiments, the neck flange may include a fillet extending from a bottom surface of the neck flange to a tip of the neck flange. In addition, the filleted end may also be tapered from a top surface of the neck flange to the tip of the neck flange. The neck flange may also include several curved edges, such as curved edges from the tip of the neck flange to side surfaces of the neck flange, and a curved bottom surface from side surface to side surface of the neck flange.
US09364627B2
A ventilator device delivers ventilatory support to a patient in a back up timed mode when patient respiration is not detected or a spontaneous mode when patient respiration is detected. The timing threshold governing the back-up mode is chosen to deviate from normal expected respiration time for the patient to promote patient initiated ventilation in the spontaneous mode but permit back-up ventilation in the event of apnea. Automated adjustments to the timing threshold during the timed mode are made from the less vigilant timing threshold to a more vigilant threshold at or near a timing of normal expected breathing of the patient. Such adjustments may be made from a minimum to a maximum vigilance timing settings or incrementally there between as a function of time in the timed mode which is preferably the number of delivered machine breaths.
US09364626B2
This disclosure describes methods and apparatus for indicating battery cell status on a battery pack assembly used during mechanical ventilation. Embodiments described herein seek to provide methods for indicating battery cell status on the exposed exterior of a battery assembly pack both when the battery is in use and when the battery is not in use during mechanical ventilation. Embodiments utilize power from the ventilator as well as power from the battery pack itself to light the indicators during periods of battery use and non-use, respectively. Embodiments described herein further seek to provide an apparatus indicating battery cell status on the exposed exterior of the battery pack assembly during mechanical ventilation. Embodiments described herein further seek to provide an apparatus for a battery pack assembly used during mechanical ventilation. Embodiments described herein seek to provide a system for a ventilation system with an inserted battery pack assembly.
US09364621B2
A valved holding chamber (2) includes a main chamber housing (49 and a mouthpiece assembly (6) removeably coupled to a first end of the main chamber housing, the mouthpiece assembly including a mouthpiece housing (24) having a mouthpiece portion (32) and a valve housing portion (30), a retaining ring (28) provided within and coupled to the valve housing portion, and a one-way inhalation valve (26) having an annular valve seat member (52), wherein the valve seat member is held between the retaining ring and an engagement surface of the valve housing portion. In one particular embodiment, a portion of the first end of the main chamber housing engages the bottom of the valve seat member and creates a seal between the main chamber housing and the one-way inhalation valve and between the one-way inhalation valve and the mouthpiece housing.
US09364594B2
A blood pump having an axially tubular inlet, a tangential chamber adjoining the axial inlet and having a substantially radial outlet, with an axial guide body connected to the outlet and/or to the tangential chamber, an impeller supported on the guide body and having an inner surface facing the guide body and an outer surface as well as blading arranged on the outer surface. At least one part region of the guide body projects from the tangential chamber into the inlet, wherein at least one section of the stator transmitting a force onto the rotor is arranged in the part region. The impeller is supported by a hydrodynamic radial bearing in the radial direction.
US09364587B2
Bone regeneration using biodegradable polymeric nanocomposite materials and applications of the same
A method for producing a biocompatible structure includes: obtaining a load graph and a stress graph representing a relationship between a weight percentage of tissue forming nanoparticles and a maximum load or maximum stress of a polymer film, respectively; determining a first and second weight percentage corresponding to a peak of the load graph and the stress graph respectively; determining an optimal weight percentage based on the first and second weight percentages; preparing a polymer film having the optimal weight percentage of the first tissue forming nanoparticles to the polymer; dividing the polymer film to multiple strips; constructing a scaffold by stacking the strips to form polymer layers and adding bone or composite particles between the polymer layers; applying a solution to the scaffold to form a coated scaffold; and adding second tissue forming particles to the coated scaffold to form the biocompatible structure.
US09364578B2
This invention relates to deployable hemostatic materials comprising chitosan fibers. The hemostatic materials are suitable for use in sealing or controlling active bleeding from artery and vein lacerations and punctures, and for controlling oozing from tissue.
US09364577B2
The invention relates to a specific composition comprising A) isocyanate-functional prepolymers obtainable by reaction of A1) aliphatic diisocyanates with A2) di- to hexa-functional polyalkylene oxides having an ethylene oxide content of 50 to 100 mol %, based on the total amount of the oxyalkylene groups present, B) an aqueous polyurethane suspension, an aqueous polyacrylate suspension or aqueous silica sols, especially for production of hydrophilic, aliphatic polyurethane foams. The invention further provides a process for producing a hydrophilic, aliphatic polyurethane foam, based on the inventive composition, a polyurethane foam obtainable by the process and a wound dressing comprising the polyurethane foam.
US09364576B2
An absorbent article includes a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body arranged between the top sheet and the back sheet. An excretory orifice contact area of the liquid-permeable top sheet has an area containing a blood slipping agent. The blood slipping agent has a kinematic viscosity of 0.01-80 mm2/s at 40° C., a water hold percentage of 0.01-4.0 mass %, and a weight average molecular weight of less than 1,000. An amount of the blood slipping agent on the clothing-side surface of the top sheet is greater than an amount of the blood slipping agent on the skin-side surface of the top sheet at a location in the area containing the blood slipping agent where the surfaces overlap in the thickness direction of the absorbent article.
US09364571B2
In a hydrogen peroxide gas plasma sterilizer, the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide sterilant is an important factor in determining sterilization efficacy. The present application describes sterilizers, and sterilization methods, which use a novel injector-concentrator arrangement. This arrangement provides accurate control of concentration of the liquid-phase hydrogen peroxide, prior to vaporization of the liquid sterilant into the sterilization chamber. This increases the reliability and efficacy of the sterilization cycle.
US09364570B2
The present invention relates to compounds that are useful as metal ligands and which contain a moiety capable of binding to a biological entity and methods of making these compounds. These compounds are of interest as they can be bound to a biological entity and then coordinated with a suitable metallic radionuclide. The coordinated compounds are useful as radiopharmaceuticals in the areas of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging.
US09364554B2
The present invention relates to, inter alia, extracellular drug conjugates (EDC) in which an antibody or other targeting agent (e.g. a targeting moiety) is linked to a drug through a linker (e.g. a non-cleavable linker). These conjugates are useful in the treatment of disease and/or as a tool in the evaluation of biological systems.
US09364549B2
A method for manufacturing a drug-delivery composition includes providing at least a pharmaceutically active composition, providing a hydrophobic matrix; and mixing the hydrophobic matrix and the pharmaceutically active composition to form a paste-like or semi-solid drug-delivery composition.
US09364547B2
The present invention provides for bioavailable oral dosage forms containing esters of 17-hydroxyprogesterone as well as related methods. The oral dosage forms can be formulated for pregnancy support and can include a therapeutically effective amount of an ester of 17-hydroxyprogesterone and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. In another embodiment, a pharmaceutically acceptable oral dosage form for pregnancy support is provided. The pharmaceutically acceptable oral dosage can include a therapeutically effective amount of an ester of 17-hydroxyprogesterone and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The oral dosage form can, when measured using a USP Type-II dissolution apparatus in 900 mL of deionized water with 0.5 (w/v) of sodium lauryl sulfate at 50 RPM at 37° C., release at least 20 wt % of the dose of the ester of 17-hydroxyprogesterone after 60 minutes, or in the alternative release at least 20 wt % more after 60 minutes than an equivalently dosed oral dosage form without the carrier.
US09364544B2
Amphiphilic triblock copolymers B-A-B, wherein A is a linear poly(ethylene glycol) block, having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of between 900 and 3000 Daltons, determined with size exclusion chromatography; wherein B are hydrophobic blocks with at least two cyclic monomers selected from the group consisting of glycolide, lactide, 1,3-dioxan-2-one, 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one, 1,4-dioxan-2-one, 1,4-dioxepan-2-one, 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, each B-block having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of between 400 and 2000 Daltons, determined with size exclusion chromatography; and wherein 25% to 100% of the polymer hydroxyl end-groups are covalently modified with at least one derivative of a C2-C20 fatty acid. The invention also relates to compositions with such polymers and the use thereof.
US09364543B2
This disclosure provides compositions comprising a visible light-curable mixture capable of forming a biocompatible hydrogel, hydrogels prepared from the hydrogel precursor mixtures, and a biocompatible delivery system comprising a hydrogel. The disclosure also provides a process for preparing a multi layer hydrogel delivery system.
US09364540B2
The present invention provides a solution formulation for inhalation comprising: a liquid phase; an active ingredient containing a carboxylic ester in which the oxygen atom is covalently bound to a quaternary nitrogen-containing heterocycle, dissolved in the liquid phase; and a magnesium or calcium salt, dissolved in the liquid phase. The formulation is particularly suited to pMDIs and nebulizers.
US09364532B2
The present disclosure concerns an oncolytic virus for the treatment of cancer, such as in brain cancer, for example glioblastoma. The oncolytic virus may exhibit reduced levels of neurotoxicity. The oncolytic virus may be an isolated viral particle capable of producing a cDNA polynucleotide that includes a sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1 when the virus is in a host cell. The oncolytic virus may be an isolated viral particle that includes an RNA polynucleotide that includes a sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2. The oncolytic virus may be an isolated viral particle having a genome that includes open reading frames that encode: proteins having sequences comprising SEQ ID NOs: 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7; or variants thereof.
US09364522B2
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a diverse and abundant class of ˜22-nucleotide (nt) endogenous regulatory RNAs that play a variety of roles in animal cells by controlling gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Increased miR-181a expression in mature T cells is shown to cause a marked increase in T cell activation and augments T cell sensitivity to peptide antigens. Moreover, T cell blasts with higher miR-181a expression become reactive to antagonists. The effects of miR-181a on antigen discrimination are in part achieved by dampening the expression of multiple negative regulators in the T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway, including PTPN22 and the dual specificity phosphatases DUSP5 and DUSP6. This results in a reduction in the TCR signaling threshold, thus quantitatively and qualitatively enhancing T cell sensitivity to antigens.
US09364519B2
The present application relates to a pharmaceutical composition for use in the prevention or/and treatment of a neurodegenerative disease, the composition comprising desPro36Exendin-4(1-39)-Lys6-NH2 or/and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, adjuvant, or/and auxiliary substance. In addition, the present application relates to the use of the pharmaceutical composition for the treatment and prevention of a neurodegenerative disease.
US09364511B2
The present application provides a natural aqueous extract obtainable from a cinnamon bark (Cinnamon sp.) which has antiviral activity against enveloped viruses including influenza A, Parainfluenza (Sendai) virus and HSV-1 viruses, as well as in vivo activity in inhibition of Influenza A and Parainfluenza viruses. The present application also concerns a method for the extraction of said cinnamon extract and applications thereof.
US09364510B2
A botanical composition and combinations thereof that include a leaf extract of Hylotelephium spectabile (Boreau) H. Ohba and is useful for treating and/or preventing histamine-mediated conditions or disorders are described. Methods of manufacture and use thereof are also described.
US09364509B2
The invention relates to therapeutic uses of gum mastic, and compounds found therein including polymeric myrcene. More particularly, the invention relates to methods of treating impaired neurological function using compositions comprising polymeric myrcene.
US09364507B2
This invention relates to use of probiotics, particularly P acidilactici and S boulardii, for use in conjunction with steroids and other immune suppressor agents to ameliorate symptoms of autoimmune diseases, especially disease symptoms arising from the body's production of antibodies against autologous blood cells. The practice of the invention sustains ameliorative response associated with immune suppressor agents while lowering the amount of immune suppressor agents required for treatment.
US09364504B2
The invention relates to a composition which induces, in a host, a cytotoxic cell response directed against cells expressing an antigen, in particular tumor cells, and which comprises red blood cells containing said antigen. These red blood cells may be in the form of an immune complex with an immunoglobulin, in particular IgG, which recognizes an epitope at the surface of the red blood cells, and/or be heat-treated or chemically treated so as to promote phagocytosis of said red blood cells by dendritic cells. As a variant, the red blood cells may be xenogenic red blood cells. The invention also relates to a therapeutic especially anti-tumor vaccine containing such a composition.
US09364502B2
The present invention relates to stable pharmaceutical formulations that include a delivery agent and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US09364501B2
The invention features methods of treating a macrophage-associated neurodegenerative disease such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), or multiple sclerosis (MS) in a subject by administering chlorite in an amount effective to decrease blood immune cell activation. The invention also features methods of monitoring therapy by assessing blood immune cell activation before and after therapy.
US09364499B2
A graft composition intended for transplantation into a patient comprises an injection solution comprising an isolated cell transplant and dextran sulfate, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US09364497B2
The invention relates to treatments of cognitive disorders e.g. Mild Cognitive Disorder comprising the use of agents which are capable of lowering homocysteine levels in a subject, preferably a human subject. Aspects of the invention relate to a method of treating such disorders comprising administering one or more B vitamins e.g. folic acid, Vitamin B6 and/or Vitamin B12 or derivatives thereof.
US09364495B2
The invention provides for LNA oligomers, for the treatment of a metabolic or liver disorder, wherein the LNA oligomer is administered orally in a unit dose of less than 50 mgs/kg, wherein the LNA oligomer is administered in the presence of a penetration (permeation) enhancer.
US09364490B2
Use of a derivative containing C—O—P bonds in a controlled release form to treat patients with kidney failure. Moreover, it comprises the use of said derivatives together with other active substances, which particularly may be selected from a list comprising a calcimirnetic, vitamin, phosphate binder, thiosulfate, bisphosphonate, pyrophosphate, citrate, diuretic, antihypertensive and anticholesteraemic agent.
US09364487B2
A composition for transdermal delivery of a progestin for progestin hormone therapy is disclosed. Also disclosed is a transdermal delivery device comprising the composition. For progestin-only hormone therapy, the composition contains an anti-oxidant and does not contain an estrogen. For therapy involving a progestin and an estrogen, the composition contains the progestin, the estrogen and an additional anti-oxidant. Methods of improving the stability of progestin-containing compositions comprising oxidative agents are also disclosed. The methods comprise including one or more anti-oxidants in the compositions.
US09364473B2
Provided are methods for treating pancreatic cancer in a patient by administering liposomal irinotecan (MM-398) alone or in combination with additional therapeutic agents. In one embodiment, the liposomal irinotecan (MM-398) is co-administered with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin.
US09364469B1
The present invention discloses a method of treating gefitinib-resistant non-small-cell lung cancer, comprising administering an effective amount of D561-0775. A pharmaceutical composition comprising D561-0775 admixed with a pharmaceutical carrier for treating Gefitinib-resistant non-small-cell lung cancer is also disclosed therein.
US09364466B2
The present invention provides a heterocyclic compound of formula (I), a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a prodrug thereof or a hydrate thereof, wherein A, A′ B, D, R1, R2 and R3 are as defined herein, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) as an active ingredient, methods of production, and methods of use thereof. Particularly, the present invention provides a compound of formula (I) useful for treating or preventing a disease, condition or disorder associated with protein kinases, preferably Janus Kinase family.
US09364463B2
The present invention encompasses an amino acid composition for recovery of muscle strength and function.
US09364458B2
The present disclosure relates to: (a) stabilized pharmaceutical dosage forms comprising atrasenstan, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and, optionally, another therapeutic agent; (b) methods of using such pharmaceutical dosage forms to treat nephropathy, chronic kidney disease, and/or other conditions; (c) kits comprising such pharmaceutical dosage forms and, optionally, a second pharmaceutical dosage form comprising another therapeutic agent; (d) methods for the preparation of such pharmaceutical dosage forms; and (e) pharmaceutical dosage forms prepared by such methods.
US09364456B1
The invention concerns a method of treating Angelman Syndrome (AS) in a subject, comprising inducing ketosis in the subject by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a ketone ester, such as an R,S-1,3-butanediol acetoacetate ester, wherein administration of the ketone ester elevates the blood ketone level in the subject. Other aspects of the invention include a method of increasing cognitive function and/or motor function in a subject with AS; and a method of decreasing seizures and increasing the latency to seize in a subject with AS.
US09364444B2
Functional PLA-PEG copolymers, the nanoparticles thereof, their preparation and use for targeted drug delivery and imaging The present invention concerns novel functional PEG-PLA containing copolymers, the nanoparticles containing the same, their process of preparation and their use for site specific targeted drug delivery and imaging.
US09364443B2
The present disclosure is directed to surface-modified particles and to methods of making and using the same. The surface-modified particles comprise a particle core and a coating associated with the particle core, wherein the particle core comprises an active agent, the coating comprises an opsonin, and the surface-modified particle has an average size from about 1 nm to about 2,000 nm.
US09364439B2
The present invention is directed to drug dosage forms that release an agent that raises the pH of a patient's gastrointestinal tract, followed by a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The dosage form is designed so that the NSAID is not released until the intragastric pH has been raised to a safe level. The invention also encompasses methods of treating patients by administering this coordinated release, gastroprotective, antiarthritic/analgesic combination unit dosage form to achieve pain and symptom relief with a reduced risk of developing gastrointestinal damage such as ulcers, erosions and hemorrhages.
US09364437B2
The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions, food supplement compositions and cosmetic compositions comprising diaminooxidase, and to the use thereof.
US09364436B2
Disclosed herein are diketopiperazine microparticles having high capacity for adsorbing a drug or active agent. In particular, the diketopiperazine microparticle are formed using fumaryl diketopiperazine and can comprise a drug in large doses for the treatment of disease or disorders by pulmonary delivery via oral inhalation.
US09364422B2
The invention relates generally to pigmented compositions that, upon the application of water and pressure, exhibit a visible change in one or more optical attributes such as color.
US09364412B2
The compositions and methods disclosed herein pertain to the manufacture and use of hydrogels. The disclosed compositions and methods pertain to hydrogels capable of induction by a variety of methodologies, such as by pH, salt and/or mixing. Such hydrogels are capable of self- or co-assembly and while doing so, may entrap a variety of bioactive agents in their native form, such as proteins, DNA, RNA and the like. The hydrogels of the present invention also demonstrate rapid sheer-responsiveness. The hydrogels of the present invention are biodegradable, biocompatible and useful as a biomaterial or drug-delivery device.
US09364399B2
Disclosed are water-based cosmetic compositions comprising a synthetic non-associative thickening polymer, a synthetic associative thickening polymer, an emulsifier, and a liquid fatty substance, wherein the composition has a viscosity of from about 2,000 Pa·s to about 90,000 Pa·s at low shear rate as measured on a TA instrument G2 Rheometer.
US09364397B2
There is provided a medicinal agent filling device with reduced size, which can automatically fill a medicinal agent into containers having different sizes. A medicinal agent filling device includes: a supply device for supplying a medicinal agent of interest to a container capable of being filled with the medicinal agent; a conveyance device for conveying the container; and a detecting unit for obtaining measurement data corresponding to an outer diameter of the container in a conveyance direction of the container by the conveyance device. Based on the measurement data, the conveyance device stops the container at a supply position where the medicinal agent can be supplied from the supply device to the container.
US09364393B1
A dosing system for analgesic liquid suspensions including unit dose containers made using blow-fill-seal (BFS) technology. The containers come in various sizes and hold appropriate doses for specific weight ranges. Each container has body with a compartment for holding the liquid, finger rests for squeezing the container to expel the liquid, a tab at one end for labeling, and a twist-off closure at the other end. In the larger containers, the opening end has a lip rest, which is a flattened section that includes opposed, curved depressions. In the smallest container, the opening end has a long tapered neck. The suspension has a relatively low viscosity to ensure more complete dose evacuation from the container. The containers will be sold in assemblages of various combinations of sizes.
US09364389B1
A hygienic water jet assembly for a spa includes a body having a conical jet outlet that receives pressurized water and air from suitable sources. A control insert is disposed within the conical jet outlet and spaced therefrom by a gap, such that the control insert serves to combine the water and air together for delivery to a jet nozzle carried by the control insert. The control insert also includes a pair of conical surfaces that allows residual water within the control insert to drain by gravity out of the control insert through apertures disposed therethrough. The water draining out of the control insert is then permitted to drain out of the jet nozzle via the gap by gravity.
US09364385B2
A massage apparatus includes an upright support frame and a moving seat. Each of the support frame and the moving seat has a U-shaped cross-section. The support frame has a middle main wall formed with an elongated groove, and two side walls extending rearwardly away from the main wall. The moving seat is connected slidably to guide rails disposed on the support frame, and has a middle plate that faces closely toward a rear surface of the main wall of the support frame, and two side plates that extend rearwardly similar to the side walls of the support frame. A massage unit includes a massage motor connected to the moving seat, a rotating shaft projecting forwardly through the elongated groove, and a head portion connected to the rotating shaft.
US09364368B2
A nasal dilator of vertically laminated layers, each consisting of one or more components. The laminated layers form a unitary truss with end regions for engaging outer wall tissues of a user's nasal passages and for traversing the bridge of the nose. The dilator includes means to direct its resilient properties comprising material separations or shape discontinuities formed in at least one region of the truss and extending through at least one layer of the dilator. Said material separations or discontinuities may comprise an opening, relief cut, slit or notch, and may be configured to separate or vertically protrude from the dilator when it is in use. The separations transform the angle of focused delaminating spring biasing forces generated by the resilient layer from primarily peel forces into primarily shear forces, and further redistribute the transformed forces to tissue-engaging surface areas extending outward and beyond the separations.
US09364365B2
A progressive strap assembly includes an elongate, inelastic body having first and second ends, and an elastic body having first and second ends, the first end of the elastic body anchored to the second end of the inelastic body. The elastic body is arranged to stretch a plurality of lengths and has a maximum stretchable length. A tension limiter is connected to the first and second ends of the elastic body and is arranged to inhibit a predetermined stretchable length of the elastic body short of the maximum stretchable length.
US09364360B2
A method for manufacturing a catheter, includes forming a mandrel by arranging at least first and second elongate members in an at least partial longitudinal juxtaposed relation with respect to a longitudinal axis defined by the mandrel, mounting an inner liner having an internal surface about the mandrel, treating the inner liner whereby the first and second elongate members of the mandrel cause irregularities within the internal surface of the inner liner, positioning an outer member about the inner liner and removing at least the inner liner from the mandrel, thereby forming a catheter having the inner liner with irregularities.
US09364355B2
The present embodiments provide systems and methods for deploying at least a portion of a stent. In one embodiment, the system comprises a cannula having an outer surface, and a coiled member having proximal and distal ends and a plurality of turns disposed therebetween. At least a portion of the coiled member is secured to the outer surface of the cannula. A stent is releasably secured to a portion of the coiled member. A protective cage may encircle the coiled member.
US09364343B2
The present invention provides an intervertebral implant for implantation in a treated area of an intervertebral space between vertebral bodies of a spine. The implant includes a spacer portion having an inferior and superior surface, wherein the inferior and superior surfaces each have a contact area capable of engaging with anatomy in the treated area, and the inferior and superior surfaces define a through-hole extending through the spacer body. The present invention further provides screw holes extending from a side portion to the inferior and superior surfaces of the spacer portion and a plate portion rigidly coupled to the spacer portion through a coupling means, wherein the plate portion contains screws holes for receiving screws. A screw back out prevention mechanism adapted on the plate portion and prevents the back out of screws from the screw holes.
US09364334B2
A prosthesis is provided and includes a central body having an outer surface and a longitudinal axis extending between a first end having an opening operable to receive an installation tool and a second end spaced apart from the first end. The outer surface extends between and connects the first end and the second end and defines the length of the central body. The prosthesis additionally includes a plurality of arms each attached to the outer surface of the central body and having an outer shape defined by a porous coating independent from a shape of the central body. The porous coating completely covers the outer surface of the central body between the first end and the second end.
US09364329B2
A first tool is configured to cut a polymer implant, and includes a handle, a cutting portion, and a bending portion. A second tool is configured to cut a polymer implant, and includes a handle, a first cutting portion, and a second cutting portion. The cutting portions contain a cutter that is preferably a blade. In the second tool, the blades are preferably angled with respect to each other between about 45°. The tools can be used to reshape an implant that is to be used to replace a portion of a skull.
US09364325B2
A method for delivering a self-expanding prosthetic heart valve comprises positioning the prosthetic heart valve in an annulus of a native heart valve while mounted in a radially compressed state in a delivery cylinder, the delivery cylinder coupled to a distal end portion of the torque shaft, and rotating a torque shaft coupled to the delivery cylinder. Rotating the torque shaft retracts the delivery cylinder, thereby exposing the prosthetic heart valve, allowing the prosthetic heart valve to self-expand in the native valve annulus. In some embodiments, the torque shaft is rotated by a motor disposed in a handle at a proximal end of the delivery device.
US09364324B2
Described is a delivery system for minimally invasive delivery of a self-expandable stent to a body lumen, and particularly delivery of a prosthetic valve to the right ventricular outflow tract. Also described is a method of loading a stent onto such a delivery system, and a method of delivering a self-expandable stent to a desired anatomic site.
US09364322B2
Disclosed herein is a prosthetic heart valve, and associated methods therefore, configured to replace a native heart valve, and having a support frame configured to be reshaped into an expanded form in order to receive and/or support an expandable prosthetic heart valve therein. The prosthetic heart valve is configured to have an expansion-resistant configuration when initially implanted to replace a native valve (or other prosthetic heart valve), but to assume a generally expanded form when subjected to an outward force such as that provided by a dilation balloon or other mechanical expander.
US09364315B2
The present disclosure provides improved devices and methods to treat periprosthetic breast implant infections.
US09364309B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, surgical films for soft tissue repair are provided. The surgical films comprise at least one sheet of a non-filamentous material within which pores are formed. Further aspects of the invention, among others, pertain to methods of using such surgical films and to kits containing such surgical films.
US09364307B2
According to one aspect, the present invention provides a substantially two-dimensional surgical mesh comprising a base material, a first area having a first characteristic and a second area having a second characteristic that differs from the first characteristic. The surgical mesh may further comprise a third area having a third characteristic that may be the same as or different from the first and second characteristics, and so on.
US09364305B2
An animal dental cleaning device for cleaning the teeth of a domesticated or non-domesticated animal while the animal is participating in a pulling game with another animal or person, such as tug-of-war, is provided. Methods for cleaning teeth of animals using an animal dental cleaning device while the animal is participating in a pulling game with another animal or person are also provided.
US09364304B2
A cleaning device, especially for cleaning clogged nozzles of dental devices, with a base body, which comprises a main channel, wherein the main channel is designed for the transport of a medium, especially a fluid, characterized in that the base body, at a first end, has a receiving zone, wherein the receiving zone is designed for the arrangement of another member, especially a clogged dental device, and in that the main channel has an access zone, through which the medium may be fed into main channel and/or the pressure thereof may be raised.
US09364298B2
An orthodontic bracket includes a bracket body, a slide member, and a resilient member. The slide member is slidable relative to the archwire slot. The resilient member is coupled to and is slidable with the slide member. The resilient member is configured to engage a first portion of the bracket body in the opened position and a second portion of the bracket body in the closed position. The second portion is different from the first portion. The resilient member imposes a biasing force on the slide member in the direction of movement toward the archwire slot when the slide member is in the closed position. The resilient member may be configured to impose a biasing force on the slide member in the direction away from the archwire slot when the slide member is at a position intermediate the opened and closed positions.
US09364293B2
A medical tool for operating in a working volume of a magnetic position tracking system includes a first plurality of layers including an electrically conductive material and a second plurality of layers including an electrically insulating material and interleaved with the first plurality. The layers are arranged to reduce eddy current distortion in a magnetic field generated by the magnetic position tracking system.
US09364286B2
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for the ablation of tissue. A steerable ablation catheter can include one or more ablation elements at its distal end and one or more ablation elements fixedly attached to its shaft. The distal end of the ablation catheter can be deflected to assume a number of different deflection geometries in at least one direction along the shaft. One feature of the ablation catheter is that its shaft can comprise materials of differing durometers or stiffnesses attached together at a joint. Methods associated with use of the ablation catheter are also covered.
US09364282B2
The present invention provides various embodiments of electrodes and/or electrode tips for use in connection with ablation catheters and ablation catheter systems. In an embodiment, an electrode tip for an ablation catheter is provided, comprising an electrode carrier, a first electrode, and second electrode, each adapted to direct energy is various directions and configured to be selectively activated. In another embodiment, an electrode is provided that comprises an electrode body having an insulated portion to protect adjacent tissue from ablation while further adapted to direct energy in a downward direction towards the target tissue. Other embodiments of electrodes and/or electrode tips providing ablative elements that are directed laterally are also disclosed. Moreover, embodiments of several types of electrodes and/or electrode tips, which may include positioning, orientation, irrigating, cooling, and deflecting features, whether provided individually or in various combinations, are also disclosed.
US09364281B2
A method is disclosed for the treatment of a thoracic region of a patient's body. Embodiments of the method comprise positioning an energy delivery portion of an electrosurgical device to face a segment of a thoracic vertebra at a distance from the segment; and cooling the energy delivery portion and delivering energy through the energy delivery portion.
US09364271B2
An intramedullary assembly for intraosseous bone fusion includes a lag screw member and a tapered screw member. The lag screw member includes a first elongated body, where the first elongated body includes a first threaded portion at a first end and a bulbous portion at a second end. The tapered screw member is coupled to the lag screw member, and the tapered screw member includes a second elongated body, where the second elongated body includes a second threaded portion at a third end, and an opening at a fourth end.
US09364267B2
An interspinous fusion device is described. The interspinous fusion device includes a spacer member and an anchor member. The spacer member has a ring with two or more anchor assemblies projecting laterally from substantially opposite sides of the spacer member ring. The spacer member further has a first zip lock flange and a second zip lock flange, each of the first and second zip lock flanges extends transversely from the spacer member ring wherein each of the first and second zip lock flanges each comprises a series of teeth protruding from it. The anchor member has a ring with two or more anchor assemblies projecting laterally from substantially opposite sides of the anchor member ring. The anchor member further has a barrel extending transversely from the anchor member ring. The barrel comprises a first column of recesses adapted to mate with the teeth of the first zip lock flange and a second column of recesses adapted to mate with the teeth of the second zip lock flange. The spacer member is adapted to slide over the barrel of the anchor member such that the series of teeth of the first zip lock flange mates with the recesses in the first column of recesses of the barrel, and the series of teeth of the second zip lock flange mates with the recesses in the second column of recesses of the barrel to secure the spacer member to the anchor member.
US09364265B2
A spinal implant with at least one flexible elongated extension element is provided. The spinal implant has a profile that is lower than standard spinal implants. The spinal implant includes a bone anchor with a head portion and a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis of the bone anchor. A head plate is coupled to the bone anchor. The head plate includes a first elongated extension element and a second elongated extension element. The first elongated extension element and the second elongated extension element may be formed as a single monolithic element that is attached to the head plate by passing through a pair of openings provided on the head plate. At least one of the first elongated extension element and the second elongated extension element is flexible.
US09364263B2
Anchor for attachment to a bony structure, comprising a hook, an anchor body with a distal wall facing the hook, and a fastening system for fastening a connection member to the anchor body. A slot is defined between the hook and the distal wall, for receiving a bony structure such as a vertebra portion. The anchor further comprises a retention member having a distal end with teeth, passing through the distal wall and being movable relative to the anchor body, from a retracted position to a protracted position where the distal end protrudes from the distal wall, inside the slot. The proximal end of the retention member defines a seat for the connection member.
US09364245B2
A patellar clamp and associated system and method for using the clamp are provided. A patellar clamp includes a pair of handles movably coupled together, a patella support portion connected to the pair of handles and configured to engage a first side of a patella, and a reamer guide configured to engage a second side of the patella. The patella support portion and the reamer guide each include a first pair of flanges configured to engage a first and second tendon associated with the patella. The reamer guide is configured to allow reaming and resurfacing the entire desired posterior articular surface of the patella in a single operation without readjusting the position of the reamer guide.
US09364237B2
A medical device is disclosed for joining a first tubular organ (1), such as a blood vessel, to a second tubular organ (2), such as a blood vessel. The kit includes an external tubular scaffold (4) with a removable scaffold handle (7, 18, 19) and a clip (3). In use, the clip (3) and the external tubular scaffold (4) remain outside of the tubular organs (1, 2) being joined. The clip (3) embraces a first longitudinal tubular section (6) of the external tubular scaffold (4) thereby holding together a longitudinal segment of an intima of the first tubular organ (1) and a longitudinal segment of an intima of the second tubular organ (2).
US09364232B2
A surgical instrument including a handle assembly, an elongated portion, an end effector, and a stop member is disclosed. The end effector is disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion and includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. At least one jaw member is movable with respect to the other jaw member between spaced and approximated positions. The first jaw member includes an upper tissue-contacting surface and a lower shelf portion. The shelf portion includes a groove disposed therein. The stop member is disposed adjacent a distal portion of the first jaw member and is pivotable with respect to the first jaw member between a first position, a significant portion of the stop member being positioned external to the first jaw member, and a second position where a lower portion of the stop member being positioned at least partially within the groove.
US09364228B2
An applicator instrument for dispensing surgical fasteners includes a housing, a firing system disposed in the housing, an actuator coupled with the housing for actuating the firing system, an elongated shaft extending from the housing, the elongated shaft having an outer diameter, and a cap secured to the distal end of the elongated shaft, whereby the cap has a lower distal edge that extends laterally beyond the outer diameter of the elongated shaft. The lower distal edge of the cap has a length that is greater than the outer diameter of the elongated shaft. The cap has a distal end face that slopes upwardly and proximally from the lower distal edge, and the cap has a surgical fastener delivery window formed in the distal end face for dispensing surgical fasteners. The delivery window has a lower end that is spaced from the lower distal edge.
US09364226B2
A powered surgical apparatus, which is configured to engage tissue includes a handle assembly having proximal and distal portions, a movable portion operatively connected to the distal portion of the handle assembly, a tool assembly operatively coupled to the movable portion, a power source configured to supply electrical power, and a transmission system operatively associated with the power source. The movable portion is movable with respect to the handle assembly. The tool assembly is adapted to engage tissue. The transmission system is configured to transmit electrical power or signals between the handle assembly and the movable portion.
US09364212B2
A system and associated method for manipulating tissues and anatomical or other structures in medical applications for the purpose of treating diseases or disorders or other purposes. An implant for attachment of soft tissue to bone, an insertion tool for anchoring suture anchors to bone, and a method for anchoring a suture anchor to bone.
US09364207B2
A method and apparatus for sealing a puncture or incision formed percutaneously in a tissue. The apparatus includes an anchor, a sealing plug, a suture, a compaction member assembly, a spool assembly, and a release member. The compaction member assembly is structured and arranged to apply a compressive force to compact the sealing plug toward the anchor. The spool assembly includes a plurality of post members, and the suture is wound about the post members to define a suture cam path. Unspooling the suture along the suture cam path provides driving of the compaction member assembly. The release member is operable to move the post members to release the suture member from the spool assembly.
US09364206B2
Apparatus and methods for sealing a puncture through tissue includes an introducer sheath sized for introduction into a puncture, cartridge sized for insertion into the introducer carrying a sealant, and a locking element for coupling the introducer sheath to the cartridge. When the cartridge is advanced into the introducer sheath, the locking element couples the introducer sheath to the cartridge such that subsequent retraction of the cartridge causes the introducer sheath to retract, thereby deploying the sealant from the cartridge within the puncture beyond the introducer sheath.
US09364204B2
A method of performing arthroscopic surgery using an arthroscopic inflow and outflow sheath which provides an improved inflow and outflow system reducing the diameter of a continuous flow system while eliminating the need for a third portal during arthroscopy. The improved arthroscopic inflow and outflow sheath comprises an elongated atraumatic sheath having an inner surface, outer surface, proximal end, and distal end. The atraumatic sheath further comprises plurality of ribs extending from the inner surface of the sheath and designed to contact an outer surface of the arthroscope creating outer lumens facilitating the inflow and outflow of fluid to a surgical site. The atraumatic sheath further comprises a ridge to prevent the sheath from being easily removed from a surgical site.
US09364197B2
A device and method for improving the identification accuracy of fetal heart rate deceleration. The method includes: collecting fetal heart rate data (101); performing baseline identification on the collected fetal heart rate data (102); preprocessing the collected fetal heart rate data (103); performing deceleration identification on the preprocessed fetal heart rate data according to preset deceleration judgment standards and a fetal heart rate data baseline to obtain a decelerated data segment (104); and calculating a deceleration attribute value of each decelerated data segment (105), and outputting the decelerated data segment and calculation result (106). The present invention can effectively eliminate the baseline variation part by employing methods such as the dynamic threshold area method, continuous wave peak detection and composite deceleration detection and so on, and accurately identify each deceleration and the type thereof, avoiding the defects of the existing method, which easily causes large deceleration identification errors but cannot identify continuous deceleration or eliminate baseline variation and cannot identify composite deceleration and so on. The solution in the present invention is not only suitable for the situation where deceleration occurs independently and is typical deceleration but also is suitable for the situation where continuous deceleration and composite deceleration occur.
US09364195B2
Methods and devices are disclosed that, in various embodiments and permutations and combinations of inventions, diagnose and treat Deep Vein Thrombosis or associated symptoms. In one series of embodiments, the invention consists of methods and devices for identifying patients whose Deep Vein Thrombosis or associated symptoms are caused or exacerbated, at least in part, by blockages of one or more of the patient's internal peripheral veins. In some instances, stenoses or other flow limiting structures or lesions in the patient's affected veins are identified. Further, in some instances the nature of such lesions and whether there is a significant disruption of blood pressure, or both, is ascertained. In some embodiments, methods and devices for applying one or more therapies to the blockages in the patient's peripheral veins are provided.
US09364191B2
DPC (differential phase contrast) images are acquired for each photon energy channel, which are called spectral DPC images. The final DPC image can be computed by summing up these spectral DPC images or just computed using certain ‘color’ representation algorithms to enhance desired features. In addition, with quasi-monochromatic x-ray source, the required radiation dose is substantially reduced, while the image quality of DPC images remains acceptable.
US09364185B2
A method performed by a medical device for transmitting data packets includes: removing select data fields from a data packet defined in accordance with IEEE standard 11073 to form a modified data packet; determining a length of the modified data packet; determining whether the length of the modified data packet is greater than a predetermined maximum length of data packets under the Bluetooth low energy protocol, as defined in Bluetooth Core Specification version 4.0 or higher; when the length of the modified data packet is greater than the predetermined maximum length of data packets defined under the Bluetooth low energy protocol, partitioning the modified data packet into a plurality of individual data packets, wherein each of the individual data packets includes a portion of the modified data packet; and transmitting the individual data packets via an antenna in accordance with the Bluetooth low energy protocol.
US09364181B2
A physiological sensor combination has a flexible substrate configured to attach to a tissue site. Multiple sensors are disposed on the substrate, which generate physiological signals. Each of the signals is responsive to a different physiological parameter. Conductors are carried on the substrate and routed between the sensors and at least one connector. The connector is configured to communicate the physiological signals to at least one monitor, which derives measurements of the parameters.
US09364178B2
A vehicle includes a detection system, configured to acquire data regarding operation of the vehicle, and a robotic driving device, configured to provide robotic control of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a control system configured to determine whether the robotic driving device is activated, such that the vehicle is in robotic driving mode; receive a request by a prospective operator of the vehicle to deactivate the robotic driving device to initiate a manual driving mode; determine whether the prospective operator is impaired based on the data; and selectively grant or refuse the request based on the determination.
US09364172B2
The invention relates to a system for collecting samples and to a method for collecting a liquid sample. The system comprises at least one analytical aid, the analytical aid comprising a lancet and a test element, and the test element having a test field for analysis of the liquid sample. The system for collecting samples comprises a coupling element which can be successively connected to the lancet, in a first position of the analytical aid, and to the test element, in a second position of the analytical aid. The system for collecting samples also comprises a drive unit for moving the coupling element from a rest position to a deployed position, such that the movement of the coupling element is transmitted to the lancet, coupled thereto, in order to execute a puncturing movement, or is transmitted to the test element, coupled thereto, in order to execute a sample recovery movement.
US09364166B2
In order to make it possible to set the optimal breath-holding imaging conditions according to the subject without extension of an imaging time or the sacrifice of image quality, one scan is divided into one or more breath-holding measurements and free-breathing measurements on the basis of the imaging conditions of a breath-holding measurement, which are input and set according to the subject, and a region of the k space measured in the breath-holding measurement is controlled. Preferably, in the breath-holding measurement, low-frequency data of the k space is measured. Moreover, preferably, imaging conditions of the breath-holding measurement include the number of times of breath holding or a breath-holding time, and the operator can set any of these values.
US09364162B2
In general, this disclosure is directed to signal processing based methods to reject oversensing due to electromagnetic interference or other noise without compromising tachyarrhythmia detection sensitivity. A method comprises sensing a signal indicative of cardiac activity, detecting a cardiac event based on the signal, determining a count of fluctuations of the signal within a window between the detected cardiac event and a next cardiac event, and determining whether noise is present in the signal based on the count.
US09364160B2
A method, system, apparatus and device for processing an ECG signal to remove or reduce noise from the ECG signal attributable to EMG and/or motion artifacts. The novel algorithm common to all aspects of the device can include wavelet decomposing an ECG signal to produce a set of approximation coefficients and a plurality of sets of detail coefficients, locally fitting subsets of the set of approximation coefficients to second order polynomials, adjusting the set of approximation coefficients by the locally fitted second order polynomials, setting some of the detail coefficients to zero, and reconstructing an ECG signal with reduced noise based on the modified set of approximation coefficients and the modified plurality of sets of detail coefficients.
US09364157B2
An apparatus and method based on image for detecting heart rate activity is provided. The method includes: obtaining a plurality of color images; based on a complexion target condition, defining a target region; performing color composition analysis on the target region to obtain red channel signal, green channel signal and blue channel signal, respectively; performing independent component analysis on separate red, green and blue channel signals to obtain separate first independent component signal, second independent component signal and third independent component signal; performing frequency domain transform, signal energy computation and signal optimization processes on separate first, second and third independent component signals to obtain a filter signal, comparing filter signal based on a pre-set condition to determine if target region belonging to a human, and performing a physiological information analysis.
US09364156B2
A blood pressure measurement device includes a cuff, inflation/deflation unit, pressure detection unit, volume detection unit, and control unit. The control unit determines values of an arterial volume signal detected by the volume detection unit, changes a prescribed control target value from the determined value at a time of diastolic blood pressure to a vicinity of the value at the time of systolic blood pressure during a rise time, changes the prescribed control target value from the determined value at the time of systolic blood pressure to a vicinity of the value at the time of diastolic pressure during a fall time, and adjusts the pressure of the cuff by controlling the inflation/deflation unit such that the volume indicated by the arterial volume signal detected by the volume detection unit matches the prescribed control target value. Thus, by applying a control target value, blood pressure can be measured.
US09364149B2
Method and system for providing analyte sensor alignment and retention mechanism for improved connectivity with a transmitter unit for electrical connection, and further including transmitter unit contact pins with metal components to improve electrical conductivity with the analyte sensor in an analyte monitoring and management system is provided.
US09364139B2
A system and method for detection of calorimetric abnormalities within a body lumen includes an image receiver for receiving images from within the body lumen. Also included are a transmitter for transmitting the images to a receiver, and a processor for generating a probability indication of presence of colorimetric abnormalities on comparison of color content of the images and at least one reference value.
US09364138B2
The disclosure concerns a minimally-invasive medical instrument with a rotatable inner shaft mounting a medical tool. The medical tool may be, for example, a forceps, a grasper, a cutter or other medical tool useful for therapeutic or diagnostic procedures. The medical tool is desirably used in endoscopic, laparoscopic or other minimally-invasive procedures. The jaws or other end-effectors of the tool are operated by a first control wire, which will act to open or close the jaws or other end-effectors of the tool. A second control wire is used with a camming mechanism to transform linear movement of the second control wire into rotary motion of the inner shaft, thus also rotating the medical tool. The medical tool may thus be oriented at the surgical sit as desired by the surgeon, by rotating the tool without having to remove and re-place the tool within the patient.
US09364135B2
A cleaning wand and cloth system includes a wand having a first end and a second end. The first end of the wand has a handle, and the second end of the wand has a tip including an opening. The tip may be coiled shaped. A cloth, such as a washing cloth, a drying cloth, and the like, may be removably attached to the tip of the wand one at a time. The washing cloth and the drying cloth may each have an attachable loop that may removably attach to the tip of the wand. The tip of the wand and the removably attached cloth may be placed within a narrow hollow object to clean the interior surfaces.
US09364128B2
Disclosed are a robot cleaner and a method for controlling the same. The robot cleaner is capable of recognizing a position thereof by extracting one or more feature points having 2D coordinates information with respect to each of a plurality of images, by matching the feature points with each other, and then by creating a matching point having 3D coordinates information. Matching points having 3D coordinates information are created to recognize a position of the robot cleaner, and the recognized position is verified based on a moving distance measured by using a sensor. This may allow a position of the robot cleaner to be precisely recognized, and allow the robot cleaner to perform a cleaning operation or a running operation by interworking the precisely recognized position with a map.
US09364124B2
An environmentally-friendly portable toilet that is waterless, odorless and cost efficient, that uses specially-lined bags that kill pathogens and are sealed and released into a base section, which is connected to a hard plastic sitting unit, forming an integral, closed system for waterless sanitation.
US09364110B2
A beverage container closure or lid adapted for closing an open end of a beverage container. The lid is couplable to the beverage container and includes a selectively openable stopper that when closed, creates a fluid-tight seal between the beverage container and the environment. The stopper may be opened by pressing a button disposed on a side of the beverage container closure. The stopper is subsequently automatically closed when the button is released. Thus, the user may open and close the beverage container closure using a single hand without the need to remove the beverage container closure from the beverage container. The beverage container closure includes an actuating lever configured to press the button when a user applies a force to the lever. By utilizing the mechanical advantage provided by the lever, a user is able to selectively open and close the stopper using a relatively low amount of force.
US09364106B1
System and method for identifying, measuring and analyzing food nutritional values and consumer eating behaviors is disclosed. A food container, having weight sensors and food identification sensors, identifies weight, type, and preparation status of the food item being consumed by the user from the food container. Based on the identified information, the nutritional value of the food item is determined and observed. The food container in communication with the system components may provide the user a recommended meal plan to improve the user's health condition. In addition, the food container issues an alert to the user when the user puts too much, too less, or the right amount of food items in the food container or eats the food items too fast.
US09364100B2
A shelving system for the display of items, such as retail products and merchandise, is disclosed. The shelving system includes a first sheet that forms a bottom layer. This first sheet rests on top of an existing display shelf. A second sheet is placed over the first sheet. The second sheet forms a top layer, and supports the products on the shelf. At least one inductive transmission coil is located between the first and second sheets. The coil is located along the front edge of the display shelf. A circuit board is electrically coupled to the transmission coil, and to a power source. The shelving display system provides a retrofit solution to provide power to the front edge of an existing display shelf. In an alternate embodiment, a ramp is used at the front of the existing display shelf to replace the first and second sheets.
US09364093B2
A chair riser assembly supports a chair in an elevated position relative to a primary support surface for providing the chair user with a slightly raised seat elevation for aiding the chair user in rising from the riser-supported chair. The chair riser assembly includes a series of corner post assemblies each of which have a lower post end for engaging the primary support surface. Two width adjustment assemblies adjustably interconnect paired, laterally spaced the post assemblies for enabling the user to adjust the lateral width of the riser assembly for accommodating variously sized chairs. Laterally opposed chair support assemblies interconnect forward portions of the chair riser assembly to rearward portions of the chair riser assembly. Each chair support assembly includes a chair support portion in superior adjacency to the lower post ends for supporting lower portions of the chair in superior adjacency to the primary support surface.
US09364090B2
A bracket which attaches to a pilaster is disclosed. The bracket itself is useful for holding shelves in a cabinet. The bracket is most useful when more than two are combined in conjunction with a rail or similar track and used to support a drawer or movable shelf.A dowel or peg on the bracket is inserted into a hole on a pilaster and the bracket rests against the pilaster, held in place by gravity and friction. A drawer rail or similar structure may connect two or more brackets so that a drawer or shelf is supported by the rail. The design of the brackets reduces the time and effort associated with placing such brackets and supports in cabinets and other structures.
US09364089B1
A self-closing slide rail assembly with a deceleration mechanism includes first and second rails and a self-closing mechanism, in addition to the deceleration mechanism. The self-closing mechanism is mounted to the first rail and includes an elastic member for providing an elastic force in a first direction. The deceleration mechanism includes a deceleration spring for providing an elastic force in an opposite second direction. When the second rail is displaced from an extended position toward a retracted position relative to the first rail, the self-closing mechanism automatically drives the second rail toward the retracted position due to the elastic force applied by the elastic member. Meanwhile, the elastic force of the deceleration spring serves as a deceleration force, allowing the second rail to move slowly to the retracted position.
US09364088B2
A sanitation tray system for medical, laboratory, and industrial equipment. This system is modular, stackable, and user customizable. It may be assembled in any number of horizontal or vertical configurations depending on the user's needs and is capable of permitting instruments of varying heights, lengths and widths to be sanitized simultaneously. It is easily assemblable and disassemblable and includes a rack, corners, sides, and dowels. It is lightweight, easy to manufacture, easy to ship, and economical. It is designed to use the least amount of surface area to allow for maximum permeation of sterilants and minimizes the opportunity for pooling of sterilants or retention of particulate matter while decreasing drying time.
US09364080B2
A furniture accessory includes a bracket having first and second retaining elements, a basket having first and second fastening elements that fasten the basket to the bracket by the retaining elements, wherein the basket is swivelable about a first and second axes, a slider movably mounted on the bracket for locking the first and second fastening elements with the first and second retaining elements, wherein the slider locks the first and second fastening elements with the first and second retaining elements, the slider locks the second fastening element with the second retaining element when in a first release position such that the basket may be swivelled about the second swivel axis, and wherein the slider locks the first fastening element with the first retaining element when in a second release position such that the basket may be swivelled about the first swivel axis.
US09364076B2
A toothbrush holder enclosure is provided which includes a three parts: a back plate, a resilient clamp and a front cover. The back plate and front cover form a housing. The clamp part has an inverted “U” shape and is made of a resilient material giving it a springy property. The clamp is shaped to urge two clamp arms towards one another in order for the clamp to grip a toothbrush. Two rollers at the tips of the clamp arms engage a toothbrush head inserted in the clamp as the clamp is spread apart from the clamped position to a deviated state. With the toothbrush inserted, the rollers exert pressure on a neck of the toothbrush to hold the toothbrush fast in place. The rolling engagement action of the rollers permits gripping toothbrushes having heads fitted with rubber sides.
US09364074B2
An arcuate head broom apparatus for sweeping debris across a surface while collecting debris being moved in a trapping area. The arcuate head broom apparatus comprises a broomstick, defined as a conventional elongated broom handle having a distal end, connected at the distal end to a broom head assembly. The broom head assembly defines an arcuate assembly base and a plurality of bristles extending downward therefrom. The arcuate assembly base has an inward curved section with squared ends. Because of the curved orientation of the arcuate assembly base, the bristles are collectively oriented in an arcuate shape that creates an inner trapping area. In addition, the squared ends provide a flat end surface that allows the arcuate head broom apparatus to be used in corners and against straight walls.
US09364070B2
An applicator unit for a cosmetic unit comprises a substantially cylindrical applicator support body with an applicator longitudinal axis and an applicator arranged on an applicator head of the applicator support body to apply a cosmetic product, the applicator unit being configured in one piece.
US09364059B1
A trolley suitcase with deployable storage includes a front panel and a back panel. The front and back panels both have top and bottom edges, as well as first and second opposing side edges. An extendable handle extends from the top edge of the back panel and is moveable between a recessed position and an extended position. A deployable container is provided, deployable to define an auxiliary storage compartment external to the main storage compartment. The deployable container has a stored configuration and a deployed configuration. When in the stored configuration, the deployable container is collapsed, such that a first end thereof and a second end thereof are in adjacent positions. When in the deployed configuration, the first end of the deployable container is retained at its original position, while the second end of the deployable container is extended away from the first end. The auxiliary storage compartment is defined between the first end and the second end of the deployable container.
US09364056B1
A pendant formed of separable segments along a substantially diagonal line in which the segments have a mechanical interlock formed of a member physically attached to the rear portion of one of the segments and having a tab which fits into a recess formed in the rear of the second of said tabs such as the segments may not be physically separated in the horizontal direction one from the other.
US09364055B2
Apparatuses and systems for ornamental piercing of body parts are disclosed. Various embodiments of the invention employ a nut carrier which includes a vertical engagement feature and molded spring fingers to couple to a body piercing instrument. The vertical engagement feature prevents rotation of the nut carrier relative to the body piercing instrument and the molded spring fingers provide a secure engagement over a rounded flange of the body piercing instrument. The nut carrier is implemented as a component in a body piercing system that employs separate carriers for the nut and the post. The novel nut carrier simplifies manufacturing eliminating a welded two part flange previously employed in the body piercing instrument.
US09364054B2
An accessory cinching device for jewelry and footwear is disclosed. Jewelry device includes first cylindrical stationary housing with side wall, two pairs of side line holes, base collar, and bottom core hole. Each pair of side line holes is disposed on opposing sides of stationary housing. A second cylindrical rotating housing has at least two top line holes, top screw hole, top collar, and top core with at least two top core notches. A retaining nut has bottom core with at least two bottom core notches, bottom lip, and internal thread. Bottom core of retaining nut is adapted to be inserted up through bottom core hole of stationary housing. A screw is adapted to secure rotating housing to retaining nut. Base collar and bottom lip are adapted to maintain joined rotating housing, retaining nut, and screw, in alignment while allowing device to rotate relative to stationary housing when adjusting length of jewelry chain.
US09364053B2
A fastener element includes a coupling head and a pair of leg portions and has a coupling concave portion provided on a first surface of the coupling head and a coupling convex portion projecting from a second surface of the coupling head. An outer margin portion on a first surface side of the coupling head has a first margin portion formed like a ridge line and a pair of second margin portions disposed on both sides of the first margin portion and formed like an inclined surface or a curved surface and one end of each of the second margin portions is arranged on an inside of both end positions of a width direction of the coupling concave portion. Accordingly, the feel of the fastener element can be improved and also the strength of the slide fastener with respect to transverse pulling can stably be maintained.
US09364028B2
An underwear brief has a waistband, cloth construction forming a front region, a back region, side regions and a crotch region, two leg openings, a horizontal fly implemented with a first panel overlapping outside a second panel, with ends of each of the two panels secure to the fabric of the front region such that the horizontal fly provides a horizontal vertically-oriented entrance or exit through the front region of the brief, a first elastic band joined continuously, end-to-end, along full length of a lower edge of the first panel, a second elastic band joined continuously, end-to-end, along full length of an upper edge of the second panel, and a third elastic band joined horizontally to the front region at a position above and parallel to the upper edge of the second panel, with only the opposite ends of the third elastic band joined to the front region.
US09364025B2
A smoke condensation resistant electronic cigarette includes absorption stem and a power source stem which are connected with each other detachably; an atomizer for transforming cigar liquid stored in the absorption stem into smoke and a smoke path for conducting the smoke out of the absorption stem are provided in the absorption stem. Here a smoke condensation resisting mechanism for preventing cooling and condensing of the smoke on an inner wall of the smoke path during flowing process is disposed in the absorption stem. The electronic cigarette of the present invention increases amount of smoke taken in by a smoker and prevents cigar liquid drips being inhaled by the smoker or greatly reducing amount of smoke taken in by the smoker. In addition, it facilitates reduction of manufacture and using cost, and also facilitates assembly, disassemble and replacement of the electronic cigarette.
US09364017B2
An intestinal environment-improving agent containing, as an effective component, a starch with a high resistant starch content that satisfies the following conditions (a), (b), (c), and (d): (a) a content of a resistant starch measured by the resistant starch measurement method of AOAC official method 2002. 02 is equal to or higher than 60%; (b) a peak of a molecular weight is equal to or higher than 6×103 and equal to or lower than 4×104; (c) a molecular weight dispersity is equal to or higher than 1.5 and equal to or higher than 6.0; and (d) a gelatinization enthalpy at 50° C. to 130° C. measured by a differential scanning calorimetry is equal to or lower than 10 J/g.
US09364011B2
A method for producing cheese without fermentation and ripening steps is provided. The method includes adding vinegar or acidulant to milk and mixing them. Whey is removed from the resultant mixture to recover a curd. Adding, to the curd, an emulsifier, cooking salt, sodium bicarbonate and a yeast extract and heating them to emulsify. The resultant emulsion is cooled to solidify. An alternative method includes adding to the curd a natural cheese in a ratio of 20 to 90% by weight of the curd to 80 to 10% by weight of the natural cheese. The natural cheese is selected from Grana, Mimolette, Gouda, Edam, Emmental, Gruyere, Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses, and a combination thereof. Mixing the curd and natural cheese and adding an emulsifier, cooking salt, sodium bicarbonate and yeast extract. The mixture is heated to emulsify and cooled to solidify.
US09364006B2
The present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one biological control agent. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of this composition as well as a method for reducing overall damage of plants and plant parts.
US09364005B2
The disclosure provides materials and methods for conferring improved plant traits or benefits on plants. The materials can include a formulation comprising an exogenous endophytic bacterial population, which can be disposed on an exterior surface of a seed or seedling, typically in an amount effective to colonize the plant. The formulations can include at least one member selected from the group consisting of an agriculturally compatible carrier, a tackifier, a microbial stabilizer, a fungicide, an antibacterial agent, an herbicide, a nematicide, an insecticide, a plant growth regulator, a rodenticide, and a nutrient.
US09363997B2
Methods for the generation of non-equilibrium solutions of peroxyacetic acid are disclosed. These methods comprise introducing triacetin sad aqueous hydrogen peroxide to water, mixing, and then adding an aqueous source of an alkali metal or earth alkali metal hydroxide. Triacetin is converted rapidly and with a high conversion rate into peracetic acid. These methods produce solutions with a high level of peracetic acid.
US09363996B2
A method of inhibiting an ethylene response in a field crop is disclosed, comprising the step of applying to at least one portion of at least one plant of said field crop an amount of a solution of a water soluble cyclopropyl-1-enyl-propanoic acid salt (WS-CPD, Formula I) effective to produce inhibition of an ethylene response in said at least one plant, wherein M is chosen from the group consisting of Na, Li, K, and ½Ca.
US09363994B2
The present invention provides a composition including a polymer nanoparticle and at least one agricultural active compound incorporated with the nanoparticle, wherein the nanoparticle are less than 100 nm in diameter, and the polymer includes a polyelectrolyte.
US09363990B2
An assist device includes a plurality of links that are connected to each other at connection junctions. A terminal link of the plurality of links includes a handle connection attached thereon. Another terminal link of the plurality of links includes a connection structure attaching a device to be passed about an object.
US09363984B2
A thermal treatment of bee colonies to ensure death of bee parasites in an interior of a hive frame superstructure through transformation of short wave electromagnetic radiation to long wave thermal radiation, where an efficient temperature increase above the value of 40° C. is done by the help of a secondary thermal energy and/or a primary thermal energy when sunrays or a generated radiation permeate through a thermosolar lid on an active surface of a photo-absorbent component and/or go through a transparent screen into the interior of the hive frame superstructure and land on an active photo-absorbent layer of a thermo solar frame. Also described is construction of a device for pursuance of a thermal treatment of bee colonies. Other implementations are also described.
US09363980B2
A hoof boot has a base, a heel captivator, and a pivoting mechanism that disposes the heel captivator to pivot relative to the base, preferably in a manner that allows the heel captivator at least three degrees of freedom of movement relative to the base. The heel captivator is preferably low in the rearmost portion, which provides clearance for the pastern bones of the equine lower leg to descend upon weight bearing during movement at various gaits. To reduce the possibility for bruising and chaffing of soft tissue around the pastern bones, and to help eliminate accumulation of debris, preferred heel captivators have an open mesh architecture. Heel captivators can alternatively or additionally be designed with fabric covered neoprene or other liners. Boots are preferably tightened using mechanically advantages laces.
US09363969B1
A novel maize variety designated PH2FNP and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH2FNP with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH2FNP through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH2FNP or a locus conversion of PH2FNP with another maize variety.
US09363968B1
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01050493. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01050493. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01050493 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01050493 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09363964B2
The present invention is in the field of soybean variety WN1118509 breeding and development. The present invention particularly relates to the soybean variety WN1118509 and its progeny, and methods of making WN1118509.
US09363963B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1W9K and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1W9K with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1W9K through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1W9K or a locus conversion of PH1W9K with another maize variety.
US09363962B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1KMY and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1KMY with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1KMY through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1KMY or a locus conversion of PH1KMY with another maize variety.
US09363958B2
A coriander variety, designated CN CORI 6003, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of coriander variety CN CORI 6003, to the plants of coriander variety CN CORI 6003 and to methods for producing a coriander plant by crossing the cultivar CN CORI 6003 with itself or another coriander variety. The invention further relates to methods for producing a coriander plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic coriander plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to coriander varieties or breeding cultivars and plant parts derived from coriander variety CN CORI 6003, to methods for producing other coriander varieties, lines or plant parts derived from coriander variety CN CORI 6003 and to the coriander plants, varieties, and their parts derived from the use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid coriander seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar CN CORI 6003 with another coriander variety.
US09363938B1
A strip-till row apparatus includes a primary frame having spaced apart side panels each having an upstanding front edge and an opposed upstanding rear edge. A tillage assembly is operatively coupled to the primary frame adjacent the rear edges thereof and configured to contact a ground service so as to prepare the soil. An auxiliary frame includes an upstanding front wall and a mounting arm extending rearwardly from the front wall, the auxiliary frame having a linking member having a first end pivotally coupled to the front wall and a second end coupled to the primary frame. A selectively inflatable airbag includes a top coupled to the mounting arm and a bottom coupled to the linking member via an airbag mounting bracket. A relative downward force is applied to the primary frame as the airbag is selectively inflated or deflated, respectively.
US09370134B2
Provided is a method of managing a component mounting substrate that can be used in a roll-to-roll process, without breaking or deteriorating electronic components mounted thereon. In the method of winding, around a core, a flexible component mounting substrate on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted and managing the component mounting substrate as a roll, the roll is held such that the core of the roll is parallel to a vertical direction.
US09370126B2
An electrical junction box includes a casing configured to be mounted in a vehicle, a start relay (a start electrical component) A housed in the casing and to which a current is supplied at least at a start of the vehicle, an operational electrical component (an operational relay, a connector, and a fuse connector) housed in the casing and to which a current is supplied at least during an operation of the vehicle, and a surrounding heat shield wall (a heat shield wall) disposed between the start relay and at least one of the operational relay, the connector, and the fuse connector that are the operational electrical components. The start relay includes a relay case (an electrical component case) and a terminal portion. The terminal portion is housed in the relay case and has a fixed contact and a movable contact.
US09370122B2
A cooling structure including a thermally conducting central element having a channel formed therein, the channel being configured for flow of cooling fluid there through, a first pressure plate, and a first thermally conductive resilient member disposed between the thermally conducting central element and the first pressure plate, wherein the first pressure plate, the first thermally conductive resilient member, and the thermally conducting central element form a first heat transfer path.
US09370121B2
A cable management device applicable to a rack server includes first and second support arms and a connecting member. The first support arm includes front and rear portions and a first guiding portion located at the front portion of the first support arm. The second support arm includes front and rear portions and a first guiding portion located at the front portion of the second support arm. The connecting member, movably connected between the first and second support arms, includes front and rear guiding portions. The first guiding portion of the first support arm and the first guiding portion of the second support arm are movable along and relative to the front and rear guiding portions of the connecting member respectively.
US09370119B2
A support rail assembly for supporting a load in a computer rack system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of rails configured to be secured to sides of computer equipment and secured to the rack system such that the computer equipment may slide into and out of the rack system. Each rail includes an inner rail slideably engaging an outer rail. The inner rail being secured to the sides of the computer equipment and the outer rail being secured to the front and rear racks. The outer rail having rear end and front end bracket that attach to the racks. Unique front end locking flanges and rear end locking flanges with rear end piloting flanges allow the outer rails to quickly pivot and lock into position.
US09370108B2
A stencil assembly structure used for printing solder paste on a printed circuit board includes a stencil, a fixing frame, a deformable tube and a gas supplying device. The stencil includes plural first apertures and plural second apertures. The plural first apertures are collaboratively defined as a solder paste printing region. The fixing frame includes a frame body and plural fixing seats, and each fixing seat has a guide pin. After the plural guide pins are penetrated through the corresponding second apertures of the stencil, the stencil is fixed on the fixing seats. The deformable tube is disposed at bottoms of the fixing seats. The gas supplying device is connected with the deformable tube to adjust gas amount in the deformable tube. Due to deformation of the deformable tube resulted from gas pressure in the deformable tube, the guide pins are moved and a tension of the stencil is adjusted.
US09370102B2
There is provided an embedded multilayer ceramic electronic component including: a ceramic body including dielectric layers, having first and second lateral surfaces opposing one another, and having a thickness equal to or less than 250 μm; a first internal electrode and a second internal electrode disposed to face one another with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween; a first external electrode formed on the first lateral surface of the ceramic body and electrically connected to the first internal electrode and a second external electrode formed on the second lateral surface and electrically connected to the second internal electrode; and metal layers formed on the first external electrode and the second external electrode, respectively, and including copper (Cu), wherein when a thickness of the metal layers is tp, tp≧5 μm may be satisfied.
US09370100B2
Auxiliary wiring boards 5a and 5b have electrode pads 51a and 51b which are electrically connected to electrode extraction units 26a and 26b of an organic EL device 21 and metal pads 52a and 52b which are electrically connected to the electrode pads 51a and 51b. The metal pads 52a and 52b are wire-bonded to metal lands 31a and 31b of a wiring board 3 by ultrasonic waves at a low joining temperature. Accordingly, a thermal denaturation of the organic EL device 21 can be suppressed and moreover, the organic EL device 21 can be electrically connected to the wiring board 3 regardless of whether the electrode extraction units 26a and 26b are made up of the metal material or the non-metal material.
US09370094B2
To provide a display device including a flexible panel that can be handled without seriously damaging a driver circuit or a connecting portion between circuits. The display device includes a bent portion obtained by bending an element substrate. A circuit for driving the display device is provided in the bent portion and a wiring extends from the circuit, whereby the strength of a portion including the circuit for driving the display device is increased and failure of the circuit is reduced. Furthermore, the element substrate is bent in a connecting portion between an external terminal electrode and an external connecting wiring (FPC) so that the element substrate provided with the external terminal electrode fits the external connecting wiring, whereby the strength of the connecting portion is increased.
US09370089B2
A linear proton accelerator includes a plurality of accelerator components arranged after one another, and a proton source and a plurality of accelerating units. The accelerator further includes a reticular support structure for supporting the accelerator components. The support structure is shaped as a prism with a polygonal cross-section, and has a plurality of side faces joining opposite ends of the prism. The support structure is arranged concentrically with respect to the accelerator components.
US09370084B2
The present invention relates to determining changes in the X-ray emission yield of an X-ray tube, in particular determining dose degradation. In order to provide determination of such changes, an X-ray source is provided comprising a cathode, an anode; and at least one X-ray sensor (16). The cathode emits electrons towards the anode and the anode comprises a target area on which the electrons impinge, generating X-ray radiation. An X-ray barrier (24) is provided with an aperture (26) for forming an emitting X-ray beam from the X-ray radiation, wherein the emitting X-ray beam has a beam formation (30) with a central axis. The at least one X-ray sensor is arranged within the beam formation and measures the X-ray intensity for a specific direction of X-ray emission with an angle with respect to the central axis. The at least one X-ray sensor can be positioned inside the beam formation (30), but outside the “actual field of view” (40) as determined by a diaphragm (36).
US09370063B2
A light emitting diode (LED) driving device is provided. The LED driving device includes a rectifier configured to rectify alternating current (AC) power to generate rectified power; an AC driver configured to control operations of a plurality of LED groups so that the plurality of LED groups receive the rectified power generated by the rectifier; and a light amount controller configured to reduce an amount of current applied to the plurality of LED groups when a peak value of the rectified power is increased, and increase the amount of current applied to the plurality of LED groups when the peak value of the rectified power is reduced.
US09370061B1
A high power factor, constant current, buck-boost LED driver circuit is provided with floating IC driving control. A DC power supply is provided with a first input and a second input that is coupled to a mains ground. A switching circuit is coupled to receive the first input and to convert input power into a constant current supply for an LED load. A current sensor is coupled to the switching circuit and configured to provide feedback signals representative of a current through the LED load, and a controller is coupled to the switching circuit and the current sensor and configured to provide driver signals to the switching circuit based at least in part on the feedback signal. Each of the switching circuit, the current sensor and the controller are commonly coupled to a floating circuit ground. A buck-boost inductor is further coupled between the floating ground and mains circuit ground.
US09370060B2
A lighting device includes: a plurality of DC power supply circuits. A plurality of light sources and switching units are connected to each of the DC power supply circuits, the switching units being configured to respectively switch electrical connection between the light sources and said each of the DC power supply circuits. A difference in rated voltage between any two light sources connected to one of the plurality of DC power supply circuits in common is smaller than a difference in rated voltage between two light sources respectively connected to different DC power supply circuits of the plurality of DC power supply circuits.
US09370054B2
An operating device (1) for operating an illuminant (2) is proposed, having: an energy storage unit (3) for storing electrical energy, a charging circuit (4), requiring the supply of a mains voltage (Vin), for charging the energy storage unit (3) during a charging mode of operation, a driver circuit (7), supplied with power by means of the energy storage unit (3) during a storage mode of operation, for operating the illuminant (2), and a control unit (8) for activating the charging mode of operation or the storage mode of operation independently of the state of the mains voltage (Vin), particularly independently of the level of the mains voltage (Vin).
US09370048B2
The invention relates to a pane, wherein an electrically conductive structure is applied to a glass pane. At least one intermediate layer is applied to the electrically conductive structure, at least one electrical connecting element is attached to the intermediate layer, and the intermediate layer, electrical connecting element and electrically conductive structure form at least one hollow space comprising an electrically conductive mass. A method for the production and use thereof is also described.
US09370045B2
A heat mat with thermostatic control having a reference voltage generating source that provide high voltage DC for a power controller and low voltage for a temperature sensor and hysteresis circuit. The sensor and hysteresis circuit establish a temperature threshold signal that is delivered to the resistance heating element. The resistance heating element is sandwiched between two layers of material with adhesive. Two layers of PVC protects the sandwich. In manufacturing the heat mat, the resistance heating element is placed with adhesive between two layers of material then cured and degassed under vacuum. The thermostatic control is sealed within an overmold housing or flat pack.
US09370041B2
A system for communicating information facilitates wireless communication between electronic devices. The system includes a transceiver provided in a vehicle. The transceiver communicates with an electronic device located external to the transceiver using a Bluetooth communications standard.
US09370037B2
A first device associated with an evolved packet core network receives a first update request from a second device associated with the evolved packet core network. The first update request is associated with a communication session previously provided between the first device and the second device, and the first update request is generated based on a voice/video request. The first device generates an update answer in response to the first update request, where the update answer includes a code requesting that the communication session be restored between the first device and the second device. The first device receives, based on the code, a second update request from the second device, where the second update request includes session information associated with the communication session. The first device restores, based on the session information, the communication session between the first device and the second device to create a restored communication session.
US09370034B2
In one embodiment, a method includes determining when a relay arrangement is available to pair with an endpoint. The relay arrangement is arranged to wirelessly communicate with the endpoint and to communicate over a wired network. The method also includes authenticating the endpoint with respect to the relay arrangement when the relay arrangement is available to pair with the endpoint, and pairing the endpoint with the relay arrangement if the endpoint is authenticated with respect to the relay arrangement. Pairing the endpoint with the relay arrangement includes the endpoint and the relay arrangement engaging in wireless communications, as well as the relay arrangement engaging in wired communications over the wired network.
US09370028B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, a method and device for performing network connection are disclosed herein. The method of a user equipment for performing network connection in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the steps of receiving information on a network connection for a second type service from a first base station providing a first type service in the user equipment; based upon information on the network connection, deciding whether or not the network connection is permitted and deciding a target of the network connection; and, when the network connection is authorized, transmitting a network connection request message to the target of the network connection.
US09370025B1
A base station is configured for latency-based contention free preamble reuse. The base station determines the latency between it and each of a plurality of neighboring stations and, in response to receiving two different handover requests for two different UEs from two different neighboring base stations, the base station assigns one contention free preamble for use by both of the two UEs based at least in part on respective latencies from the base station to each of the two different neighboring base stations.
US09370014B2
In a radio communication system, a downlink frequency band includes a plurality of frequency blocks including one or more carrier frequencies, and one or more frequency blocks are used for data transmission to a single user. A radio communication apparatus for use in the communication system has an evaluation unit evaluating the quality of a received signal for each frequency block and storing plurality of stored quality evaluations of the received signal, a comparison unit comparing the plural quality evaluations of the received signal, and a transmission unit transmitting a predetermined number of the quality evaluations of the received signal over an uplink control channel.
US09369999B2
Disclosed in the present invention is a method for a transmitting end to transmit a downlink signal to a receiving end in a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention comprises the steps of mapping a downlink control channel to a specific resource block pair among one or more resource block pairs; mapping a downlink data channel to a 2nd slot of the specific resource block pair and another resource block pairs of the one or more resource block pairs; and transmitting the downlink control channel and the downlink data channel to the receiving end, wherein a number of a spatial resource for the downlink control channel mapped to the 2nd slot of the specific resource block pair is limited to be equal to or smaller than a predetermined number.
US09369992B1
In systems and methods of selecting a sub-band, a first sub-band and a second sub-band of an access node are selected, and is it determined that an intermodulation product of the first sub-band and the second sub-band overlaps with a carrier band of the access node. A transmission of data is scheduled on the second sub-band when a power of the intermodulation product of the first sub-band and the second sub-band does not meet a power threshold.
US09369984B2
A method for wireless communication includes receiving a first scan report generated by a first node of a wireless communication network. The scan report includes identification information for a plurality of nodes coupled to the wireless communication network. The plurality of nodes comprises a second node whose location is unknown. The scan report also includes a plurality of time values, each time value corresponding to a communication time between the first node and each of the plurality of nodes. The method further includes determining a first plurality of distances using the first plurality of time values. Each distance of the first plurality of distances corresponds to a distance between the first node and each of the plurality of nodes. In addition, the method includes determining location information for the second node utilizing the plurality of distances. Further, the method includes providing a service to at least one wireless device utilizing the location information.
US09369971B2
In a system including at least one base station device, the base station device efficiently controls uplink signals. A mobile station device includes a path loss calculation unit 4051 configured to calculate path losses, each based on one of a plurality of types of reference signals received by a reception processing unit 401, a transmit power setting unit 4053 configured to set a desired transmit power for an uplink signal using the path losses calculated by the path loss calculation unit 4051, and a power headroom control unit 4055 configured to generate a power headroom using the desired transmit power set by the transmit power setting unit 4053, the power headroom being information concerning transmit power to spare, and configured to control transmission of the power headroom. The power headroom control unit 4055 independently controls a power headroom transmission process that uses each of the path losses calculated based on the plurality of types of reference signals, using an independent parameter for each power headroom transmission process.
US09369963B2
A smartphone includes: a first communication processing unit that performs wireless communication by a WiMAX network; a second communication processing unit that performs communication with an external device; a touch-screen display; and a controller. In a state of searching for WiMAX, in a case in which a power supply of the touch-screen display is turned off and communication with the external device by the second communication processing unit is disconnected, the controller causes the first communication processing unit to stop searching for WiMAX.
US09369957B2
A method and a mobile station operating in a wireless communication system are described. Information on a primary carrier and one or more secondary carriers is received on a multi-carrier from a base station. Information on activation or deactivation of the one or more secondary carriers is received. The mobile station communicates with the base station via the primary carrier and one or more activated secondary carriers. Configuration information for power management is received that informs the mobile station of a first time period during which the mobile station monitors signals from the base station and of a second time period during which the mobile station does not monitor signals from the base station. When a specific indication is received from the base station, the mobile station stops the first time period and enters into the second time period.
US09369954B2
A method in which a terminal transceives data with a first base station supporting first radio access technology (RAT) and a second base station supporting second radio access technology in a radio access system supporting multi-radio access technology.
US09369946B2
To provide system information of a cellular communication network, a cellular network node of the cellular communication network transmits the system information to a user equipment. The cellular network node causes the user equipment to relay the system information to the further user equipment.
US09369942B2
A communication network is described, comprising: —an access network, —a switching control network comprising call control entities arranged for association with subscribers, where said access network is arranged for routing signalling of a given subscriber to a call control entity associated with said given subscriber, and—an Internet Protocol based network for providing a set of services centred in said Internet Protocol based network to one or more of said subscribers, wherein said switching control network comprises a group of first call control entities and a group of second call control entities, said first call control entities are arranged for providing call control services to subscribers having circuit switched subscriptions, and said second call control entities are arranged for providing a gateway to connect to said Internet Protocol based network for subscribers having subscriptions to said set of services centred in said Internet Protocol based network, and each first call control entity has a subscriber association redirector for redirecting an association of a subscriber associated with said each first call control entity and having a subscription to said services centred in said Internet Protocol based network to said group of second call control entities.
US09369938B2
Methods and systems for associating a mobile station subscriber with at least one application or service are provided. The subscriber is provided with a subscriber identity module (“SIM”) identifier, which identifies a SIM associated with the subscriber. The SIM identifier is bound to the application or service. The SIM identifier and the application or service are registered with a home location register (“HLR”) to bind the SIM identifier to the application or service. If the SIM is a virtual SIM, the provider of an application or service may cover the data costs associated with the use of that application or service.
US09369926B2
Aspects of the methods and apparatus relate to transferring a received Voice-over-Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) call to a High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) packet-switched (PS) based voice call. One aspect of the methods and apparatus include receiving a VoLTE call from a network and identifying uplink VoLTE handover characteristics of the VoLTE call for an uplink transmission to the network and a downlink VoLTE handover characteristics for a downlink transmission from the network. The aspect includes configuring uplink HSPA PS based handover characteristics that emulate the uplink VoLTE handover characteristics for the uplink transmission and configuring downlink HSPA PS based handover characteristics that emulate the downlink VoLTE handover characteristics for the downlink transmission. The aspect includes utilizing the uplink HSPA PS based handover characteristics during the uplink transmission to the network and utilizing the downlink HSPA PS based handover characteristics during the downlink transmission from the network.
US09369922B2
Technology for periodic channel state information (CSI) reporting from a user equipment (UE) configured for carrier aggregation is disclosed. One method can include the UE generating a plurality of periodic CSI reports for transmission in a subframe for a plurality of CSI processes, wherein each periodic CSI report corresponds to a CSI process with a CSI process index. A single periodic CSI report from the plurality of periodic CSI reports may be selected to multiplex with a hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) feedback. The periodic CSI report multiplex with the HARQ-ACK feedback and any scheduling request (SR) may be determined to have a bit size less than or equal to a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) format 3 maximum payload bit size. The periodic CSI report multiplexed with the HARQ-ACK feedback and any SR may be transmitted to a serving cell.
US09369918B2
Enhanced protocols and devices may be used to alleviate loss of spectrum efficiency in wideband transmission. The protocols may implement a wideband transmission opportunity (TXOP) truncation where one or more of the channels involved in communication over the wideband are released. In one scenario, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may obtain a TXOP for a 2 MHz bandwidth mode frame transmission with another device capable of operating in a 2 MHz bandwidth mode and a 1 MHz bandwidth mode. The WTRU may conduct a request-to-send (RTS)/clear-to-send (CTS) frame exchange in the second bandwidth mode, and truncate the TXOP by transmitting a contention free (CF)-End frame in the first and second bandwidth modes. In another scenario, an AP may obtain a TXOP for a 2 MHz bandwidth mode frame transmission with a WTRU capable of both 2 MHz and 1 MHz bandwidth modes.
US09369915B2
An inter-system interference estimation method is disclosed for both primary and secondary radio systems. In the case of a primary system (such as a GSM system), inter-system interference estimation is based on a comparison of cell level measurement statistics before and after secondary spectrum usage in neighboring cells. In the case of a secondary system (such as an LTE system), inter-system interference estimation is based on a measurement on secondary spectrum before starting transmission on the secondary spectrum. Based on both of the above mentioned inter-system inter-cell interference estimations, a cell-level decision on the secondary spectrum usage is made, and optimization of radio resource allocation inside the systems may be carried out.
US09369906B2
This disclosure relates generally to systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer readable media for optimizing communications for mobile and embedded devices. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, this disclosure relates to systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer readable media to permit mobile devices, e.g., smartphones, tablets, ultrabooks, and the like, which may frequently suffer from intermittent Internet connectivity, e.g., as their owners move around between access points, to estimate the duration of the remaining “window of opportunity” for data transmissions and then select and/or tailor data transmissions to be able to complete as much of the desired data transfer as possible before the expected connectivity loss. In some embodiments, signal strength over time may be analyzed and correlated with a history of connectivity for a particular user and/or device in order to improve the estimation of the remaining “window of opportunity” for data transmission.
US09369905B2
A method of wireless communication manages the reporting of battery power for UE relays. A UE capable of serving as a UE relay receives a battery status report configuration. The battery status may be based on rate of power consumption, percentage of total battery power remaining, characteristics of particular battery type, and/or allocation of battery usage. The UE may transmit a battery status report to a base station.
US09369903B2
A wireless communication network comprising a plurality of base stations capable of wireless communication with a plurality of subscriber stations within a coverage area of the network, wherein at least one of the plurality of base stations is capable of: determining a multiplexing scheme for multiplexing a frequency-selective channel quality information/precoding matrix index (FS CQI/PMI) feedback report with a wideband channel quality information/precoding matrix index (WB CQI/PMI) feedback report and a rank information (RI) report on a physical uplink control channel; transmitting the multiplexing scheme to a subscriber station; and receiving, from the subscriber station, an FS CQI/PMI feedback report multiplexed with a WB CQI/PMI feedback report and a RI report on the physical uplink control channel according to the multiplexing scheme.
US09369901B2
A method of an electronic device and a method of a server are provided. The method of the electronic device includes receiving a broadcast signal broadcast by another electronic device via a wireless communication; determining, based on the received broadcast signal, a number of times the another electronic device has been detected; and sending a request for information to the another electronic device, based on the determined number of times the another electronic device has been detected. The method of the server includes receiving information from a first electronic device; receiving, from a second electronic device, an information request message relating to the first electronic device which has been detected a threshold number of times or more by the second electronic device; and transmitting information registered by the first electronic device to the second electronic device.
US09369899B2
One disclosure of the present specification provides a method for performing a measurement. The method may comprise: receiving, from a serving cell, a first measurement subframe pattern for the serving cell and assistance information on a cell-specific reference signal (CRS) of a first neighboring cell and a second neighboring cell; and receiving, from the serving cell, a second measurement subframe pattern for the first and second neighboring cells. Here, both the serving cell and the first neighboring cell are aggressor cells against a victim cell which is the second neighboring cell, and the received second measurement subframe pattern may be set based on an almost blank subframe (ABS) pattern, when a CRS of the serving cell collides with the CRS of the second neighboring cell but the CRS of the first neighboring cell does not collide with the CRS of the second neighboring cell.
US09369898B2
The present invention relates to a method and device for measuring interference in a wireless communication system. User equipment (UE) receives interference measuring indicators form a base station and measures interference based on the interference-measuring indicators by using all or some resource elements (RE) that correspond to zero-power channel state information (CSI) reference signal (RS) configurations.
US09369887B2
Signaling through a plurality of network elements is traced during a trace session. The network elements generate trace records that record information associated with a communication session and that include a charging identifier that is used as a trace recording session reference for the trace session. The charging identifier is a unique network-wide identifier for a subscriber, UE or service and can be used by an operations support system to correlate which trace records are associated with a same subscriber, UE or service that is being traced and, thereby, may enable end-to-end tracing through a network.
US09369880B2
Example embodiments generally relate to adapting a transmission via first wireless technology to avoid interference with a reception via a second wireless technology. For example, a user equipment (e.g. cell phone) can include radios operating according to first and second wireless radio technologies, which can include Long Term Evolution (LTE) and a technology using the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) frequency band. When a priority request is asserted by a radio operating in the ISM frequency band, the LTE radio may abort a scheduled transmission when certain “transmission abort criteria” are satisfied.
US09369869B2
An automatic logon support method and system enable a user having an access right to easily access a website on the Internet through a mobile communication device without asking the user to manually input a credential. Information about a history of when and where the mobile communication device is located is collected and stored in the mobile communication device itself. The server which hosts the website determines whether to allow a mobile communication device to access the server on the basis of the location information history stored in the mobile communication device.
US09369857B2
A mobile device automatically is configured to the emergency alert system (EAS) channel utilized by the cellular site from which the mobile device registers with a network. In an example configuration, an EAS server provides a mobile switching center (MSC) configuration information regarding the emergency alert channels to be used for the cellular sites supported by the MSC. When the mobile device registers via a cellular site supported by the MSC, the designated channel to be used for EAS messages is sent to the mobile device as part of the registration process. The mobile device assigns an internal channel to the designated channel. In another example configuration, the mobile device is preconfigured with a table listing all possible EAS channels, and the MSC provides, during the registration process, a pointer to the appropriate portion of the table.
US09369856B2
An apparatus and system for communicating information relating to an emergency event occurring at a non-emergency vehicle to an emergency service includes forwarding emergency event information from the non-emergency vehicle to the emergency service via one or more mobile devices located in proximity to the non-emergency vehicle.
US09369853B2
An information processing method executed by a processor included in an information processing apparatus that includes a display device that displays an image and a speaker, the information processing method includes determining, when update of an image displayed on the display device is detected while the information processing apparatus is in a state of voice call, notification sound corresponding to a substance of the update; and outputting the notification sound from the speaker.
US09369852B2
Disclosed are computing devices, systems, and methods for messaging for mobile devices using a vehicle data communications module (DCM). A computing device associated with a vehicle can receive an incoming message sent to a driver's mobile device using a Bluetooth connection with the mobile device. The message can be presented to the driver over the vehicle's audio system using text-to-speech processing. The driver can compose an outgoing message as a reply, such as using speech-to-text processing, which can be sent to a remote server to forward to the intended third-party recipient. If the third party replies to the outgoing message directly, the remote server can receive the reply and forward it to the vehicle computing device. All related messages can be presented to the driver as a single thread or conversation.
US09369848B2
To assist communication by users, who are associated according to their location. Each of APs (Access Points) 3001 to 300m is installed at a certain place, and sends a radio signal including identification data. Each of wireless terminals 4001 to 400n, when receiving a radio signal, transmits send data including identification data to information distribution apparatus 100. Information distribution apparatus 100 classifies wireless terminals 4001 to 400n into groups based on pieces of identification data, and realizes communication between users belonging to a group. Each group is associated with a particular place.
US09369845B2
Method of and systems for assigning estimated positions and attributes to wireless access points in a positioning system are disclosed. A method of estimating a characteristic of a wireless beacon includes receiving a set of data points. Each data point contains information about characteristics of a wireless beacon. The method also includes dividing at least one dimension into a set of regions in which each region of the set has region boundaries that do not overlap with other regions. The method further includes associating each data point with one corresponding region based on at least one element of the information of the data point lying within the boundaries of the corresponding region and determining an aggregate characteristic for each region based on the information of the data points associated with the corresponding region. The method estimates a characteristic of the wireless beacon based on at least one aggregate characteristic.
US09369843B2
Pseudorange information is extracted by a cellular device from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipset of the cellular device. The cellular device accesses the GNSS chipset embedded within the cellular device where the GNSS chipset calculates pseudorange information for use by the GNSS chipset. The cellular device extracts the pseudorange information from the GNSS chipset for use elsewhere in the cellular device outside of the GNSS chipset.
US09369840B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for invitational content geofencing. A system first sends, to a server location data associated with the system, the location data being calculated at the system. The system then receives a listing of places of interest within a geofence including a geographical perimeter for identifying places of interest in the listing, the geofence being based on the location data associated with the system. Next, the system selects a place of interest from the listing based on a location of the system. The system then presents a content item associated with the place of interest.
US09369838B2
A method is disclosed for estimating a position of a target using a plurality of smartphones, each smartphone being capable of communicating with the target over a limited wireless range, the method comprising providing a target transmitting a wireless signal having a corresponding identification for uniquely identifying the target; providing the corresponding identification of the target to track to a group of smartphones; each smartphone of the group of smartphones being capable of receiving the signal transmitted if the target is in its vicinity and storing the corresponding identification of the target with a time stamp and an indication of a corresponding location of the smartphone and obtaining each of the stored corresponding identifications of the target with a time stamp and an indication of a corresponding location of the smartphone to thereby estimate a position of the target.
US09369836B2
A device and software utilizing Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technologies for monitoring and recovering portable computing devices and, a method and system for acquiring such devices, protecting data on such devices, and for compensating owners of devices. A GPS mechanism of the invention provides real time tracking of missing devices that may be coordinated with security agencies to intercept and recover missing computing devices. When a stolen device is unrecoverable, the invention may receive a signal to initiate data recovery where a wireless network is available to recover data for the owner. Alternatively, the GPS mechanism instructs the device to encrypt or destroy stored data files to prevent commercial espionage or privacy violations. The invention discloses a software system and method for computing a purchase price of the GPS mechanism, computing compensation for loss of the device and lost data.
US09369833B2
A first mobile device may receive, via a text messaging application, first location information from a second mobile device. The first location information may indicate a first geographic location of the second mobile device. The first mobile device may receive, via the text messaging application, second location information from the second mobile device. The second location information may indicate a second geographic location of the second mobile device. The first mobile device may generate, based on the first location information and the second location information, a graphical representation. The graphical representation may represent a movement of the second mobile device from the first geographic location to the second geographic location. The first mobile device may provide the graphical representation for display via a display associated with the first mobile device.
US09369824B2
The present invention provides an electronic circuitry system receiving the modulated alternating electric field from a computing device, the electronic circuitry is attached to the body of the user and further the electronic circuitry system communicates with the computing device. The electronic circuitry system includes a first electrode capactively coupled with the modulated alternating electric field, an electronic sub-circuit for receiving and processing the modulated alternating electric field from the first electrode and a second electrode connected to said electronic sub-circuit to float the modulated alternating electric field through the body of the user with respect to the ground. The electronic circuitry further includes a hub device for communicating with said communication unit. The hub device includes housing, a generator for generating alternating electric field, a micro-controller for generating modulated commands and electric field bidirectional communication unit for communicating generated modulated commands through the alternating electric field and a power source.
US09369821B2
Apparatus, and associated method, provides for downloading an application with a selectable lifetime from an application database to a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal user's identification information and the selected lifetime for the application are stored in an application-license database. When the user seeks to download the same application on a subsequent occasion the user is able to download that application for a reduced fee if lifetime remains from when the application was first downloaded. In addition, the application may be configured to delete or uninstall itself from the mobile terminal when the selected lifetime for the application expires.
US09369815B2
Sound processors with light transmissive seals and systems including such sound processors are disclosed.
US09369814B2
Ear-level full duplex audio communication systems each include one or two ear attachment devices, such as in-the-ear (ITE) or behind-the-ear (BTE) devices, that wirelessly communicates to a remote device such as a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a walkie talkie, or a language translator. When used as a hearing aid, such a system allows a hearing impaired individual to communicate with or through the remote device, such as to talk to another person through a cellular phone. When being used as an ear piece wirelessly extended from the remote device, such system allows an individual with normal hearing to privately communicate with or through the remote device without the need of holding the device or wearing any device wired to the remote device. Each ear attachment device includes a voice operated exchange (VOX), housed within the device, to preserve energy and hence, maximize the period between battery replacement or recharges. The VOX also gates various sounds detected by the system to control possible echoes and ringing.
US09369811B2
A microphone unit includes a first connection terminal abutting on a terminal on a microphone body side, a second connection terminal connected on a fixed electrode side, and a coil spring provided between the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal, compressed upon coupling of the microphone unit and the microphone body, and urging the first connection terminal toward the microphone body. When the microphone unit and the microphone body are coupled, the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal are connected, and the first connection terminal is connected to the terminal on the microphone body side. When the microphone unit and the microphone body are separated from each other, the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal are separated from each other by an urging force of the coil spring.
US09369806B2
A moving-coil electroacoustic transducer is provided which is bar-shaped and includes a vibration system. The vibration system includes a vibration diaphragm, a bar-shaped acoustic coil, an acoustic coil support, and two plucked members. The acoustic coil sleeves the acoustic coil support and is combined with the vibration diaphragm through the acoustic coil support. The acoustic coil support is integrally formed; and includes an acoustic coil mounting portion located in the middle, dampening member mounting portions located at the two ends, and a support portion disposed between two long-axis edges of the acoustic coil mounting portion.
US09369785B1
Techniques for providing closed-loop control and predictive analytics in packet-optical networks are described. For example, an integrated centralized controller is described that provides tightly-integrated, closed-loop control over components of a routing/switching network (e.g., IP/MPLS) and also the underling optical transport system, including routing wavelength and spectrum assignment. The controller adaptively and proactively maps packet flows into network resources of a routing/switching network and control, based on the mapping, allocation and utilization of optical spectrum and wavelengths within the optical transport system underlying the routing and switching network.
US09369784B2
An optical arbiter device, between conflicting access requests to a shared resource sent by N processing nodes of a network-on-chip system, comprising at least one primary optical arbiter bus, at least one optical source for transmitting a first optical signal in said at least one primary optical arbiter bus, and a sequence of N optical arbiter cells coupled with the primary optical arbiter bus, each of these optical arbiter cells being associated with a processing node and having means for selecting the processing node with which said each optical arbiter cell is associated by re-routing the first optical signal. The optical source is designed to transmit a second optical signal propagated in an opposite direction to the first optical signal along the primary optical arbiter bus. Furthermore, the selection means of each optical arbiter cell are designed to perform said selection by re-routing the first and second optical signals.
US09369782B2
Power consumption related data for the power source supplying an entire household or other group of appliances is captured at a relatively high data rate. The raw data is analyzed to remove redundancy and to identify pertinent features, and then the more informative of these features are then selected. The analysis and selection of features are pre-processing tasks that are performed on-site, on the same piece of hardware that acquires the raw data and transmits the pre-processed data to the server. By transmitting selective data to a remote server, only a low bandwidth is required for the transmission.
US09369780B2
An exemplary method includes a media content management system receiving a media content stream, independently processing the media content stream in accordance with a multi-stage feature detection heuristic and in accordance with a signature matching heuristic, and classifying, based on the independent processing, a media content block included in the media content stream as including an advertisement break. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.
US09369765B2
System and methods for formatting a virtual channel are provides in which, responsive to a user selection of a plurality of time-bounded multimedia events, there is formatted for display the plurality of time-bounded multimedia events in a first virtual channel. The user is enabled to fill a first time slot in the first virtual channel with overlapping time-bounded multimedia events from the plurality of time-bounded multimedia events. A representation of a numeric count of the overlapping time-bounded multimedia events is formatted for display in the first time slot.
US09369763B2
In an exemplary method, a media service personalization system determines a first frequency response pattern based on frequency responses to a plurality of alternating current signal frequencies output to at least one external electrode of a remote control device, correlates the first frequency response pattern to a first personalized mode of operation, and directs a media service access device to operate in accordance with the first personalized mode of operation. In certain examples, the media service personalization system directs a frequency response determination facility of the remote control device to output the plurality of alternating current signal frequencies to the at least one external electrode of the remote control device and measure the frequency responses to the plurality of alternating current signal frequencies.
US09369760B2
The present application relates to human/computer interfaces and more particularly to a wireless computing headset with one or more microdisplay devices that can provide hands-free remote control of attached or remote peripheral devices, systems and/or networks. A wireless hands-free video computing headset, and corresponding method, enabling communication with a host processor to provide the user omnipresent expertise is disclosed. The wireless hands-free video computing headset, which includes a microdisplay device to present information to the user graphically, communicates with a host processor to provide the user with an expert resource. The expert resource may take numerous forms, such as diagnostic software, or live human support. The wireless hands-free video computing headset is useful by enabling the user to focus his or her attention, and maintain his or her focus, on a physical subject by enabling hands-free control, enabling the user the ability to continuously manipulate the subject manually with his or her hands as needed.
US09369753B2
In accordance with some implementations of the disclosed subject matter, a method for controlling a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port is provided, the method comprising: generating a first voltage at a first pin of the HDMI port; detecting a second voltage at the first pin of the HDMI port; detecting a third voltage at a second pin of the HDMI port; comparing the second voltage to the first voltage; comparing the second voltage to the third voltage; determining based on the comparison of the second voltage to the third voltage that the HDMI port of the device is connected to an HDMI source; causing the HDMI port to act as an HDMI sink; determining based on the comparison of the second voltage to the first voltage that the HDMI port of the device is connected to an HDMI sink; and causing the HDMI port to act as an HDMI source.
US09369751B2
A hand-held pointing device includes a main body, a processing circuit, a light emitting device and two image sensing devices. The main body has a first surface and a second surface for lying on an operating surface. The two image sensing devices are disposed in the main body and configured to sense first and second images through first and second transparent areas thereof, respectively. The light emitting device, disposed in the main body, is configured to emit a light source through the second transparent area. The processing circuit is configured to determine and operate the hand-held pointing device in a remote controller mode or a mouse mode according to whether the first image contains an image of a reference light source and/or the second image contains an image of the operating surface reflecting the light source. An operation for a hand-held pointing device is also provided.
US09369747B2
A system of grouping broadcasting signals based on a multimedia DNA of corresponding broadcast, which groups users viewing the same broadcast through the multimedia DNA of each broadcasting signal output from a TV in real time. A DNA information receiver receives DNA information on broadcasting signals, which are broadcasted through each TV. A DNA information grouping unit calculates similarity of the DNA information received through the DNA information receiver, and when the calculated similarity satisfies a predetermined similar condition, determines the similar DNA information as the DNA information of the same broadcasting signal to group the DNA information into the same group. A group information transmitter transmits group related information of each group grouped by the DNA information grouping unit to each TV.
US09369737B2
The present invention relates to an image encoding and decoding technique, and more particularly, to an image encoder and decoder using unidirectional prediction. The image encoder includes a dividing unit to divide a macro block into a plurality of sub-blocks, a unidirectional application determining unit to determine whether an identical prediction mode is applied to each of the plurality of sub-blocks, and a prediction mode determining unit to determine a prediction mode with respect to each of the plurality of sub-blocks based on a determined result of the unidirectional application determining unit.
US09369726B2
Various arrangements for testing video decoder device functionality are presented. A video frame decoded by a video decoder device under test may be received. The received video frame may be segmented into a plurality of blocks. A first value may be calculated for a first block of the plurality of blocks of the received video frame using pixel values of pixels present within the first block. The first value may be compared to a first reference value. The first reference value may correspond to a first reference block of one or more reference frames. Video decoder functionality of the video decoder device may be determined to be functional at least partially based on comparing the first value to the first reference value.
US09369719B2
A code is received. The code conveys data about a quantized coefficient that corresponds to a pixel of an image file. A decoding mode and a version of a code mapping format for decoding the received code is determined. The decoding mode and the version of the code mapping format dynamically change based on a previously-decoded code. The received code is decoded, during the decoding mode, according to the version of the code mapping format to obtain the data about the quantized coefficient.
US09369718B2
Decoding method, decoding apparatus, coding method, and coding apparatus using a quantization matrix
A decoding method includes: obtaining a plurality of quantization parameter sets from a header of a coded stream; parsing an identifier from a header of a coded picture included in the coded stream; selecting at least one quantization parameter set from among the plurality of quantization parameter sets, based on the parsed identifier; determining whether a flag parsed from the header of the coded picture has a predetermined value; generating a new quantization matrix from another quantization matrix when the flag has the predetermined value; decoding the coded picture by inversely quantizing the coded picture using the generated new quantization matrix; and decoding the coded picture by inversely quantizing the coded picture using a quantization matrix included in the selected quantization parameter set when the flag does not have the predetermined value.
US09369702B2
A coding method, apparatus, and medium with software encoded thereon to implement a coding method. The coding method includes encoding the position of non-zero-valued coefficients in an ordered series of quantized transform coefficients of a block of image data, including encoding events using variable length coding using a plurality of variable length code mappings that each maps events to codewords, the position encoding including switching between the code mappings based on the context. The coding method further includes encoding amplitudes of the non-zero-valued coefficients using variable dimensional amplitude coding in the reverse order of the original ordering of the series.
US09369686B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, when the abnormal oblique incident light is not detected, the first color mixture correction based on the pixel data of the adjacent pixel to the correction target pixel is performed for the pixel data of the correction target pixel, and when the abnormal oblique incident light is detected, the second color mixture correction based on the pixel data of the peripheral pixel to the correction target pixel is performed. Therefore, this aspect can be applied, particularly, even to an imaging element having a large array matrix size, and it is possible to solve the level difference among same-color pixels that occurs due to the influence of the leakage of the abnormal oblique incident light (the ghost light and the like) to the adjacent pixel, and to suppress the image quality degradation due to the abnormal oblique incident light.
US09369682B2
An illumination device includes: an excitation light source that emits excitation light having a first wavelength; a fluorescent substance that, when irradiated with the excitation light, emits light having a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength and transmits a part of the excitation light, and thereby multiplexes and emits the transmitted excitation light having the first wavelength and the emitted excitation light having the second wavelength; and a driving unit that moves an irradiation position of the excitation light in the fluorescent substance with the passage of time.
US09369677B2
A method for tracking collector devices in an indoor area associated with imaging devices and RF signal sources covering the area includes generating aspects of a plurality of coarse position tracks of the collector devices based on RF signal measurements obtained by the collector devices from the RF signal sources. Imaging devices capture image frames of the collector devices in the indoor area which are then processed in order to determine aspects of a plurality of fine position tracks of the collector devices. The server and the collector device communicate with each other and match aspects of at least one of the fine position tracks to the aspects of the coarse position track of the communicating collector device in order to determine the precise location of the collector device in the indoor area.
US09369670B2
A method for supporting a plurality of participants with an audio-video conferencing system including a tracking server and a plurality of streaming servers, the method including: at the tracking server, sending conversation group information to a first device associated with a first user identifier, the conversation group information including a second user identifier and a streaming server identifier for the second user identifier; at a streaming server identified by the streaming server identifier, receiving a second audio stream and a second video stream from a second device associated with the second user identifier, and in response to receipt of the second user identifier from the first device, sending the second audio stream and second video stream to the first device.
US09369666B2
A method for generating an output video stream in a video conference comprising receiving a plurality of input video streams of the video conference, receiving a series of observation events (52, 53, 54), the observation corresponding to actions made by participants of the video conference, Providing a plurality of orchestration models, Determining, for each of the orchestration models a probability of the series of observation events received, Selecting an orchestration model corresponding to the highest probability, Using the selected orchestration model to perform the steps of: • selecting the display state (51, 40, 41, 42) as a candidate display state, • Determining a conditional probability of the candidate display state for the received series of observation events • Determining the candidate display state providing the highest conditional probability as an updated display state, • Generating a video stream comprising the current display state and the updated display state.
US09369665B2
Disclosed is a video recording apparatus for a vehicle, which includes a camera unit formed so as to change a capturing direction; a driver's viewing direction detecting unit configured to detect a driver's viewing direction; a control unit configured to control the camera unit so that the detected viewing direction corresponds to the capturing direction; and a storing unit configured to store a video obtained by the camera unit. Therefore, a video in a direction at which the driver views is obtained and stored without mounting a plurality of cameras so that it is possible to obtain a video for a situation of an accident of a vehicle of the driver or a vehicle of another driver occurring not only in the front of the driver's vehicle but also in the side of the driver's vehicle.
US09369664B1
An approach for creation and maintenance of video-based training documentation. Universal identifiers are created and associated with user interface elements for delimiting videos and audios. Test scripts are created based on matching the universal identifiers to task instructions. Videos are created based on test scripts where the universal identifiers are marked on the videos. Audios are created based on the universal identifiers and the task instructions, where the universal identifiers are marked on the audios. The audios and the videos are combined based on synchronizing the universal identifiers.
US09369660B2
Content-based analysis is performed on multimedia content prior to encoding the multimedia content in the rendering chain of processing. A content-based index stream is generated based on the content-based analysis and the content-based index stream is embedded in the multimedia file during rendering. The content-based index stream can be used to generate a content-based searchable index when necessary.
US09369655B2
Techniques to display advertisements on a remote control device are described. In an implementation, a remote control device includes a display device and one or more modules. The one or more modules are configured to initiate one or more control functions related to control of an output of content by a client. The one or more modules are also configured to detect manual interaction and initiate a first mode to display an advertisement on the display device when the manual interaction has not been detected. A second mode is initiated by the one or more modules to display one or more representations of the one or more control functions when the manual interaction is detected.
US09369654B2
A display for an Intelligent television (TV) includes a live TV display and an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) display. The EPG display is positioned at a side of the live TV display and includes a favorite channel portion showing EPG information for a plurality of favorite tagged channels and a favorite show portion showing EPG information for a plurality of favorite tagged shows. An EPG display application generates the EPG display portion and retrieves the EPG information for the plurality of favorite tagged channels and the plurality of favorite tagged shows through an EPG subservice. The EPG subservice retrieves channels and shows tagged as favorite through a tag subservice. A second application sets and clears favorite tags for channels and shows through the tag subservice.
US09369652B2
A readout device comprises a readout circuit having a first switch configured to receive a pixel reset signal, a second switch configured to receive a pixel output signal, and a third switch configured to connect the first switch to the second switch. A first capacitor is connected to the first switch, a second capacitor is connected the second switch, a fourth switch is connected to the first capacitor, and a fifth switch is connected to the second capacitor. The fifth switch is connected to the fourth switch. The readout circuit also comprises a sixth switch connected to the first capacitor and a seventh switch connected to the second capacitor. The sixth switch is configured to provide a first output of the readout circuit, and the seventh is configured to provide a second output of the readout circuit.
US09369651B2
The invention provides an imager readout architecture utilizing analog-to-digital converters (ADC), the architecture comprising a band-limited sigma delta modulator (SDM) ADC; and a serpentine readout, which can be configured to allow the band-limited SDM to multiplex between multiple columns by avoiding discontinuities at the edges of a row. SDM ADC image reconstruction artifacts are minimized using a modified serpentine read out methodology, the methodology comprising using primary and redundant slices with the serpentine read out in opposite directions and averaging the slices. Advantageously, the invention can be used to develop a read out integrated circuit (ROIC) for strained layer superlattice imagers (SLS) using sigma delta modulator (SDM) based analog to digital converters (SDM ADC).
US09369645B2
An image sensing apparatus and a black level controlling method thereof are provided. The black level controlling method includes following steps. A conversion relationship between analog gain values and offset values is provided. An analog gain value is converted into an analog offset value by using the conversion relationship between analog gain values and offset values. Whether to adjust the analog offset value is decided according to a first optical black data corresponding to a first part of optical black pixels. A digital data offset value is calculated according to a data corresponding a second part of optical black pixels.
US09369641B2
The present invention relates to a multi-depth-of-field light-sensing device, a system, a depth of field extension method, and an optical imaging system. The multi-depth-of-field light-sensing device includes at least two light-sensing pixel layers capable of inducing a light source, where the at least two light-sensing pixel layers are arranged at an interval of a preset distance, so that different light signals from a lens at a specific distance from the light-sensing device are focused to the different light-sensing pixel layers. The multi-depth-of-field light-sensing device of the present invention can implement automatic focusing without using any electrically operated mechanism or complex and precise mechanical component, and have good depth of field extension performance.
US09369639B2
In the present invention, an image capturing condition measurement unit measures image capturing conditions used when an object image is captured based on radiation that has passed through an object and calculates an added value based on the image capturing conditions. An X-ray signal reading unit generates image data containing the object image based on the radiation that has passed through the object. An offset correction unit performs an offset correction of the image data with using correction image data containing a dark current component and then performs an offset correction of the image data with using the added value.
US09369635B1
A director/camera communication system for wireless multi-camera video production incorporating software to manage multiple electronic devices, including video capture devices, enable wireless communications therebetween, and provide video editing functionality.
US09369633B2
The present invention is provided to maintain a photographable display state so as not to miss a photo opportunity when a photographer performs preparation work before shooting or confirmation work after shooting, and also smoothly switch to a display state in which the photographer can perform the confirmation work after shooting whenever necessary. A live view image is displayed on a first display screen when an eye contact state is detected at the eyepiece viewfinder, and a captured image is displayed on a second display screen when a non-eye-contact state is detected after receiving an image shooting instruction. When the eye contact state is not detected within a first period from detecting the non-eye-contact state, displaying the live view image on the first display screen is stopped. The live view image is displayed on the first display screen during the first period after detecting the non-eye-contact state.
US09369614B2
A camera mountable arm includes a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment. The first segment includes a recess extending substantially along a length of the first segment, and is configured to detachably couple to a camera. The first segment is rotatably coupled to the second segment and the second segment is rotatably coupled to the third segment. The arm is operable in a plurality of positions, including: a folded position, where the first, second, and third segments are aligned to be mutually length-wise parallel such that the second segment is enclosed within the recess along the first segment, and the first and second segments are substantially flush with the third segment; and an outstretched position, where the first and second segments are separated by a first angular displacement and the second and third segments by a second angular displacement.
US09369607B2
An reading device includes: a reading region setting section setting a reading region set under an inclination correction by an inclination correction section to be larger than a reading region set without the inclination correction, an image reading section reading a document in the reading region to generate image data, and a determination section defining a target region from a whole region of the image data and analyzing a portion of the image data corresponding to the document in the target region thereby determining an attribute of the image data, defining, without the inclination correction, a region obtained by inwardly narrowing the whole region of the image data by a predefined first region as the target region, and defining, under the inclination correction, a region obtained by inwardly narrowing the whole region of the image data by a second region larger than the first region as the target region.
US09369602B2
A scanner device has a first mode for reading a normal object placed on a document table and a second mode for reading a self-luminous object placed on the document table. The scanner device includes a light detecting portion and a control portion. The light detecting portion detects light from an object placed on the document table. The control portion switches the reading mode between the first mode and the second mode on the basis of a detection result of the light detecting portion. When an image sensor detects light from the object placed on the document table in the second mode, the sensitivity of the image sensor is automatically adjusted in accordance with the amount of the detected light.
US09369599B2
An image reading device (100) includes an image reading unit (1) for reading a document, a document feeder unit (2) for feeding document sheets, a setting input unit (3) for accepting a mixed setting mode, a size determination unit (7) for determining a main scanning direction size, a blank sheet detection unit (8) configured to repeat detection whether or not a blank sheet detection area (F) in image data is blank since before one page reading is completed, and when reading in the mixed setting mode, to perform the blank sheet detection process in main scanning widths of a plurality of the blank sheet detection areas (F), so as to detect whether or not the document sheet is blank in the main scanning width corresponding to the determined main scanning direction size, and a blank sheet deletion unit (9) for deleting document image data of the detected blank sheet.
US09369598B2
A reading apparatus includes an auto document feeder configured to be openable and closable around a hinge with respect to a unit including an image sensor. The auto document feeder includes a roller configured to move a document relative to the image sensor, a motor, a gear train configured to transmit a rotation of a rotational shaft of the motor to the roller, and an encoder unit configured to detect rotation information of the motor, and including a sensor and a code wheel. An orientation of the rotational shaft is substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the hinge, and the gear train is arrayed in a direction of an extension of the rotational shaft. A gear that is a part of the gear train is attached to one end of the rotational shaft, and the code wheel is attached to the other end thereof.
US09369595B2
An image forming apparatus accesses a server that provides a Web application to enable Web application to be utilized. The image forming apparatus receives an instruction to utilize the Web application, and acquires a document expressing a Web page of the Web application in response to the received instruction. The image forming apparatus determines whether a previously-set fixed name is included in a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) included in the acquired document. When it is determined that the fixed name is included in the URI, the image forming apparatus acquires data correlating to the URI from a predetermined location previously correlated to the fixed name. Using the acquired data, the image forming apparatus generates a display screen of the Web application based on the document.
US09369590B2
A method and system for controlling the use of a short message service in a telecommunication system that includes a telecommunication network, a terminal device by which a subscriber is connected to the network, a mobile services switching center connected to the network, a gateway connected to the network, a short message service center connected to the gateway, and a database (DB) connected to or associated with the gateway. A short message sent by an originating subscriber is checked as to whether the short message is among those deemed non-allowed. Forwardable short messages are directed to the gateway, from which the database is queried to determine whether the originating subscriber is permitted the short message to the intended recipient or, alternatively, whether the message should been blocked based on predetermined criteria.
US09369581B2
A system and method for speech file processing which provides users with differentially selectable speech file transcripts which can be sent to one or more other users. The speech files may be voicemail messages from which respective voicemail transcripts are created. The voicemail transcripts are provided in a user selectable format from which users may select non-contiguous portions of the transcript.
US09369579B2
An interactive voice response method permits an intelligent interactive voice system to communicate with a caller. The method includes determining that a caller is a first time caller, interactively communicating with the first time caller, and routing a call to a particular destination based upon information received from the caller. The method also includes establishing a caller personal profile based on the information received from the first time caller, developing a predictive personalized interactive communication dialog for a repeat call by the first time caller, and storing the caller personal profile and the predictive personalized interactive communication dialog.
US09369577B2
A method includes receiving a communication from a party at a voice response system and capturing speech spoken by the party during the communication. Then a processor creates a voice model of the party, the voice model being created by processing the speech, without notifying the party. The voice model is then stored to provide voice verification during a subsequent communication.
US09369571B2
A system and method blend particular quality considerations into the process of expanding the route choices in a route table, such that more calls can be successfully routed while maximizing certain objectives. The quality considerations drive how additional routes are chosen for the route table and how call volumes are allocated to the chosen routes so that overall profitability can be maximized within the governing constraints of quality targets, route quality, predicted traffic, and route capacity.
US09369568B2
A mobile communication terminal including an input unit configured to generate at least a first signal when selected, a display unit configured to display a plurality of menus related to an operation of the mobile terminal, and a controller configured to display an independent menu on the display unit based on the generated first signal. Further, the independent menu includes at least one menu from the plurality of menus related to the operation of the mobile terminal that is displayed on the display unit independently of an application being executed on the mobile terminal.
US09369567B2
A mobile terminal including a short-range communication module configured to provide short-range wireless communication; a touch screen; and a controller configured to deactivate the touch screen and enter the mobile terminal into a lock state, detect the mobile terminal is tilted more than a predetermined slope, receive a first touch input on the deactivated touch screen, and control the short-range communication module to transmit a first IR signal to an external device for controlling the external device when the first touch input matches a predetermined password for unlocking the mobile terminal into an unlocked state.
US09369562B2
Computer-readable media, computer systems, and computing methods are provided for discovering applications using phone-number information. Initially, an application uploaded to an application marketplace is targeted. Phone numbers associated with the targeted application are discovered by identifying attributes of the targeted application from metadata associated therewith in the application marketplace, and identifying the phone numbers that reach at least one business affiliated with the targeted application or are relevant to the identified attributes of the targeted application. The associated phone numbers are mapped to the targeted application and maintained within an application manifest. Upon detecting user-initiated call-based operation(s) at a client device, the phone number(s) involved in the call-based operation(s) are compared against the application manifest to determine relevant applications. The relevant applications are distributed to the client device for presentation within a phone-number context, such as placing an outgoing call, receiving an incoming call, or reviewing a call-history log.
US09369557B2
A personal audio device includes a sidetone circuit with one or more adjustable coefficients that generates a sidetone signal from the output of a first microphone. The sidetone circuit has one or more adjustable coefficients for altering the relationship between the first microphone signal and the sidetone signal. The personal audio device also includes a transducer for reproducing playback audio and the sidetone signal at an ear of a listener and a second microphone for measuring the output of the transducer as delivered to the ear of the listener. The sidetone circuit includes a calibration circuit for estimating a response of the second microphone to the sidetone signal and adjusting the coefficient of the sidetone circuit according to the estimated response.
US09369552B2
A mobile router having a session proxy module is disclosed. The session proxy module may act as a proxy (such as a TCP proxy) for all sessions (e.g., TCP sessions) going through the mobile router. That is, for example, when a local end-user seeks to establish a TCP session from their local end-user device (such as laptop) with a destination (such as a third party server), the session proxy module may (1) terminate the TCP session coming from the local end-user device and (2) establish a TCP (or some other protocol) session on the backhaul interface with the destination. That way, all end-user traffic between the end-user and the destination may be transparently routed through the mobile router.
US09369540B2
A method and system for dynamic distributed data caching is presented. The system includes one or more peer members and a master member. The master member and the one or more peer members form cache community for data storage. The master member is operable to select one of the one or more peer members to become a new master member. The master member is operable to update a peer list for the cache community by removing itself from the peer list. The master member is operable to send a nominate master message and an updated peer list to a peer member selected by the master member to become the new master member.
US09369533B2
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for monitoring multiple locations based on hierarchical or arbitrary groupings of geofeeds. A geofeed may include content that is aggregated from a plurality of content providers using respective requests formatted specifically for individual ones of the plurality of content providers, where an individual set of a plurality of content is relevant to one or more geo-locations. The system facilitates robust organization, including hierarchical and arbitrary groupings, and analytics applied to the geofeeds. The groupings may be used in a wide range of applications such as location monitoring that allows organizations to manage multiple locations as individual geofeeds and group geofeeds for higher-level monitoring. The system facilitates security settings and rolled up reporting based on permission levels and/or groups of geofeeds, and provides tools to allow management of content that is made available by the system.
US09369531B2
A mobile station receives, from a server, a resource request relating to a pending delivery to the mobile station of a data item, the resource request including an instruction for the mobile station to acquire a network resource to enable delivery of the data item over a wireless network. The mobile station acquires, in response to the instruction, the network resource. In response to acquiring the network resource, the mobile station sends, to the server, a request to cause delivery of the data item from the server to the mobile station.
US09369530B2
Certain example embodiments relate to a resource adapter configured to establish connections between an executive information system (EIS) and one or more clients. The resource adapter includes at least a first and a second connection pool, both maintaining a plurality of connection objects. Each connection object defines a channel of communication between the EIS and the resource adapter. A cluster coordinator is configured to assign a first connection object in a first connection pool and a second connection object in a second connection pool to the one or more clients to create at least two coexisting connections between the one or more clients and the EIS.
US09369528B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for managing extensibility, e.g., on a network of multi-function devices are provided. The system includes an application catalog, in communication with an application database of a catalog server and configured to load applications therefrom. The system also includes a device manager configured to discover one or more devices on a network and to allow selection of one or more selected devices from among the one or more devices. The system further includes a data transfer system in communication with the one or more devices and to cause an application to be transmitted from the application catalog to the one or more selected devices, such that the one or more selected devices receive the application without communicating directly with the application database.
US09369523B2
The present invention is to provide a method for enabling a tracker/coordinator in a P2P system to receive server address queries from network devices through Internet; provide address of a protocol server to the network devices according to the server address queries, so as for the network devices to conduct NAT behavior tests on NAT routers connected therewith through the protocol server; assigning a first network device with the router incapable of forwarding messages to a second network device with the router capable of forwarding messages according to the test results; providing a mapped address of a port of the second network device to a third network device, when receiving a port query from the third network device and determining that the port query corresponds to the first network device, so as for the third network device to directly connect with the first network device through the second network device.
US09369513B2
A method for scheduling user equipment (UE) devices comprising sorting the plurality of UE devices based on a weight of priority associated with each of the UE devices with respect to a plurality of subbands, and assigning one or more of the UE devices to each of the subbands using the weight of priority associated with the UE devices, wherein the weight of priority is based on one or more network utility functions associated with the UE devices. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions to receive a media content segment using a dynamic adaptive video streaming over hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) (DASH) protocol, monitor a playback buffer size of a UE device, monitor a battery energy level of the UE device, and adjust a representation quality level in a segment request based on the target requested video rate, the playback buffer size and the battery energy level.
US09369511B2
A telecommunication network 9 for video conference calls comprises: devices including: a plurality of telecommunication end-point devices 35,36,38,39; and a plurality of data streaming devices 33,40 each for streaming encoded data from at least one of the telecommunication end-point devices 35,36,38,39 to at least one other of the data streaming devices 33,40 and/or to at least one other of the telecommunication end-point devices 35,36,38,39. The telecommunication network further comprises a controller 34 for controlling: forming of telecommunication connections between at least some devices on the network; and data streams along the formed telecommunication connections. The telecommunication network 9 is configured such that the controller 34 controls: the forming of a telecommunication connection between telecommunication end-point devices 35,36,38,39 via at least one of the data streaming devices 33,40; and encoded data streamed along the formed telecommunication connection between telecommunication end-point devices 35,36,38,39.
US09369510B2
A plurality of input data streams, from a plurality of data sources, are identified. The input data streams are in a plurality of different formats. For each of the input data streams, one of a plurality of transcoders is selected, to obtain a transcoding plan. Each of the plurality of transcoders has an associated transcoding cost. A potential output for each of the plurality of transcoders has an associated storage cost, and the selecting step includes jointly reducing the overall cost, subject to appropriate constraints. The method can be employed, for example, for designing a new system or efficiently utilizing an existing system. The plurality of streams can be transcoded in accordance with the plan.
US09369504B1
Matching an appropriate online application for a particular file access is disclosed. In a specific implementation, a seamless remote online application-enabled web page can be served to a web client. In another specific implementation, a script can be injected into a web page to create a seamless remote online application-enabled web page.
US09369499B2
A communication management system includes a storage unit, a receiving unit, and a first transmitting unit. The storage unit stores therein: an address of a first terminal that establishes a first session with a relaying apparatus; an address of a conversion system that establishes a second session with the relaying apparatus, the conversion system mutually converting a first communication scheme and a second communication scheme; information for identifying the second terminal that establishes a third session with the conversion system; and a host name of another communication management system managing an address of the second terminal. When the receiving unit receives, from the first terminal, a request to start communication between the first terminal and the second terminal, the first transmitting unit transmits, to the relaying apparatus, the address of the first terminal, the address of the conversion system, the terminal identifying information, and the host name.
US09369498B2
The present invention relates to a method and a system for controlling a processing load in a packet data network, wherein a load control information is set in a predetermined field of a message. The load control information is then checked on the routing path of the message and a processing resource of the packet data network is selected in response to the result of checking step. Thereby, load balancing information can be provided at the network to thereby provide an efficient balancing and load sharing function without heavy string comparisons and data base queries.
US09369487B2
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and software for handling secure transport of data between end users and content serving devices. In one example, a method of operating a content server includes identifying a content request from an end user device. The method further includes, responsive to the user request, determining a transmission control protocol window size and a secure layer protocol block size. The method also provides scaling the secure layer protocol block size to match the transmission control protocol window size, and transferring secure layer protocol packets to the end user device using the scaled secure layer protocol block size.
US09369484B1
A method for providing dynamic security hardening of selected aircraft functions includes: a) monitoring sequences of real-time security events for at least one aircraft function; b) accessing a database storing a plurality of sequences of attack events indicative of an attack of the at least one aircraft function; c) probabilistically inferring, by at least one processor, the location and progression of an attack represented within the database by utilizing the sequences of real-time security events; and d) activating at least one countermeasure in response to an inferred location and progression of an attack.
US09369483B2
The problem of abuse of privileges at cloud-hosted service sites is addressed by connecting a single individual or “actor” with multiple user accounts and/or other online identities, thereby creating a “consolidated profile.” In this way a confidence level can be established that a particular user account, IP address or other identifying attribute is associated with a particular actor. Different confidence levels may suffice depending on the remediary action to be taken; for example, holding a message for human review is obviously less draconian than rejecting the actor's registration at sign-up, and would therefore require a lower degree of confidence.
US09369475B2
A system and method for providing secure communications between third parties and hosting web pages. The method includes uploading a hosting web page to a client device, the hosting web page includes at least a sand-box proxy and a sand-box engine; uploading a third party module to the hosting web page; determining whether a proxy API call received from the third party module meets at least one validation rule, the proxy API call includes at least a script and a payload parameter provided by the third party module; for each validation rule, upon determining that the proxy API call does not meet the validation rule, modifying the script to meet the validation rule; generating an engine API call including at least the payload parameter validating the engine API call; and upon validation of the engine API call, executing, by the sand-box engine over the hosting web page, the payload parameter.
US09369474B2
Analytics data validation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an analytics service collects analytics data from a client device that describes web content and consumption of the web content by the client device. The collected analytics data includes encrypted analytics data that is not accessible by the client device and dynamic analytics data that describes the consumption of the web content by the client device. The encrypted analytics data is decrypted and a determination is made as to whether the collected analytics data is valid using the decrypted analytics data based on whether the decrypted analytics data includes expected parameters or that the dynamic analytics data is consistent with the decrypted analytics data. Responsive to a determination that the collected analytics data is valid, use of the collected analytics data is permitted are part of a web content analysis.
US09369468B2
This disclosure relates to a system and related operating methods. A computer-implemented server device receives a request from a device that includes an identifier proposed for a potential account holder. The computer-implemented server device determines whether the identifier is available for use with a new account, and communicates a response to the device that indicates whether the identifier is available for use with the new account. The response is presented at the device and includes an image that contains a visually obfuscated representation of an alphanumeric message that indicates either a success or a failure.
US09369462B2
A cloud client device identifies one or more devices within a predetermined range of the cloud client device operable to communicate with the cloud client device. The cloud client device pairs with one or more of the devices. To provide secure access to the cloud client device and to other functionality provided by the paired devices, the cloud client device accepts tones as a password. The cloud client device receives a password after a prompt as one or more tones and translates the tones for comparison with the password for the cloud client device. Access is allowed if the translated tones match the password for the cloud client device.
US09369458B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a Web-centric authentication protocol. In one implementation, a processing device receives a user request to access a protected resource and determines that a digital certificate for accessing the protected resource is not stored locally. A processing device requests a first digital certificate from an authentication service. A processing device receives the first certificate from the authentication service. A processing device receives a certificate request from the authentication service. A processing device provides the first digital certificate to the authentication service in response to the certificate request. A processing device receives a second digital certificate from the authentication service. A processing device accesses the protected resource using the second digital certificate.
US09369452B1
A system and method whereby an unregistered, anonymous user at an organization's website makes a submission/inquiry and is able to access a secure response containing private information without pre-registering or establishing an account with the organization. A response to the user is made via an unsecured e-mail notification that provides the user with an HTTPS link to an authentication page. The user then enters his/her user identification, for example, the user email address and password which was associated with the original submission/inquiry. Once the email address and password is authenticated, the secure response message is displayed on the user's web browser in SSL. Each response is provided on a per-submission basis.
US09369440B2
Technologies are generally disclosed for methods and systems for securing data. An example method may include storing, by a processing device, the data in a memory. The data may be encrypted and accessible only with the use of a decryption key. The method may further include receiving, by the processing device, one or more permission requests to access the data and requesting, by the processing device, the decryption key. In response to receiving the decryption key, the method may include authenticating, by the processing device, the decryption key to verify one or more permissions, and allowing, by the processing device, access to the data in accordance with the one or more permissions.
US09369421B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, obtaining a message and an importance rating for the message where the importance rating is determined by a second communications management agent of a server based on an analysis of content of the message. The system can access rating feedback information associated with the second communications management agent. A rating accuracy for the importance rating of the particular message can be determined based on the rating feedback information, and the method of providing the message to the intended recipient can be adjusted based on the determined accuracy. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09369420B2
Methods and apparatuses that generate a subtopic identifier identifying a client application within a client device are described. The client application may be associated with a server application hosted in one or more application servers. Notification services may be registered with the application servers from the client application to forward identifiers associated with the client application to the server application to enable the server application to push notification messages to the client device selectively for the client application. When receiving a notification message from the application server, the notification message may be examined to forward the notification message directly to the client application without invoking other applications in the client device if the notification message carries a subtopic identifier of the client application.
US09369418B2
Determining additional information associated with geographic location information included in a message is disclosed, including: receiving a message including geographic location information from a first device; extracting the geographic location information from the message; determining additional information associated with the geographic location information; and sending the message and the additional information to a second device.
US09369417B2
An on-vehicle apparatus system and a terminal device protect personal information and location information readable from message information viewed by others. The on-vehicle apparatus, which is included in a vehicle and which is connected to the terminal device, includes an application for transmitting location information representing a position of the terminal device along with message information, to a message management system, and includes a first area determination unit which determines whether the position of the terminal device represented by the location information is included in a predetermined first area, and a posting controller, which bans assignment of the location information performed before the message information is transmitted to the message management system by the application, when the first area determination unit determines that the position of the terminal device is included in the first area.
US09369413B2
A communication system includes a communication server configured to receive a request to generate a communication and receive a request to associate the communication with one or more classifications from a plurality of classifications. The system further includes a store coupled to the communication server and configured to store the communications and/or store the classification received in the association request. The classifications are associated with a request for information from a recipient of the communication. The classifications are associated with a request for information from a recipient of the communication, a request for sharing information with the recipient of the communication, and a request for action from the recipient of the communication.
US09369410B2
In one aspect, the invention concerns a method of operating a chatbot to engage in a conversation with a correspondent the method comprises building a profile having plural profile variables for the correspondent; and during the conversation with the correspondent; selecting a node in the conversation data structure for processing based on the one or more profile variables, and processing the node to follow a conversation path based on the node's coded instructions and/or relationship with other nodes. In another aspect, the method comprises the steps of attempting to match the conversation data structure of the chatbot; if a matched node is found, selecting the matched node for processing; but if a matched node is not found, selecting a node for processing using a fuzzy search, or using a default procedure.
US09369404B2
In a multicarrier communication system having a plurality of subchannels, a method and apparatus for supporting at least two applications. For example, the method includes associating at least a first application in a set of currently active applications with a first latency path, allocating at least one subchannel to the first latency path, and in response to a change in the set of currently active applications, allocating the at least one subchannel to a second latency path associated with a second application in the set of currently active applications and different from the first latency path.
US09369402B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of obtaining parameters of a digital video to be provided to users of a network. The method includes modifying one or more of the obtained parameters, such that the modification is based on information relating to segments of the users of the network. In addition, the method includes creating a plurality of versions of the digital video. Each one of the plurality of versions comprises a broadcast quality digital video adapted to appeal to at least one of the segments of the users of the network. Further, the method includes monitoring the computing cloud to obtain an assessment of rendering resources available to the computing cloud in rendering the plurality of digital videos, and coordinating allocations of the rendering resources in rendering the plurality of digital videos based on the real time assessment.
US09369400B2
A wireless system including a decoding module, an estimating module and a searching module is provided. The decoding module receives and decodes a packet to generate a decoding result. The estimating module retrieves package length information from the decoding result, and estimates a transmission end time of the packet according to the packet length information. The searching module determines a search start time according to the transmission end time, and starts packet searching at the search start time.
US09369395B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to negotiate flow control for a communication session. Example methods disclosed herein include sending, via the communication session, a request to a peer to change a flow control mechanism for the communication session, receiving, via a communication session, a reply from the peer, the reply indicating whether the request to change the flow control mechanism for the communication session has been accepted, and performing subsequent flow control for the communication session based on the reply.
US09369388B2
Embodiments generally provide techniques for load balancing data transmitted between line cards across a network fabric. Embodiments receive, at a first line card within a modular Ethernet switch, data to be transmitted to a second line card within the modular Ethernet switch. A mask table is accessed using a value corresponding to the second line card as an index in order to retrieve a mask value. Embodiments select one of a plurality of links for the first line card for use in transmitting the data, based on a load balancing algorithm and the retrieved mask value. The data is then transmitted to the second line card using the selected link.
US09369381B2
According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a node comprising a processor, a memory including a predefined mapping, the predefined mapping correlating network characteristics to related critical thresholds at which a delivery ratio of the node is close to a maximum level and at which a total number of transmissions by the node is close to a minimum number necessary to achieve the delivery ratio, and a component configured to communicate with one-hop neighbors of the node and configured to determine at least one characteristic of a dynamic network based on information received from the one-hop neighbors of the node, wherein, in reference to the predefined mapping, the processor is configured to identify a critical threshold associated with the at least one characteristic of the network and is configured to transmit a first packet to at least one one-hop neighbor based on the critical threshold.
US09369379B2
A system, method and apparatus for enabling validation of packets received from a label switched router (LSR) via a label switched path (LSP) wherein an LSR assigning LSP label/FEC bindings further associates a respective epoch label with each binding, the advertised bindings and associated epoch labels being included within transmitted packets to enable verification of received packets by matching included Epoch label to the Epoch label originally associated with the packet LSP label.
US09369378B2
A Proxy Unit is connectable to a communication network and is arranged to enable IP Communication with a Machine to Machine Unit. The Proxy Unit receives and stores in a session data base a first IP address a device identifier and a unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit. The Proxy Unit then receives from a Machine to Machine application a message destined to the Machine to Machine Unit and comprising the unique ID of the Machine to Machine Unit. The Proxy Unit finds the associated device identifier and the first IP address in the session data base, using the received unique ID. If the Proxy Unit detects no active session for the Machine to Machine Unit, it uses the device identifier to send a wake up message to the Machine to Machine Unit for enabling IP communication.
US09369373B2
An automation system without any of the devices in the system being required to have knowledge of each other or of the topology of the network. The automation system comprises sensor nodes and actor nodes. The sensor nodes transmit information via a wireless network based on changes that are sensed by the sensors, such as a button being pushed or motion being detected. The actor nodes detect the information that is transmitted over the wireless network and control appliance functions based on the information detected. After the sensor and actor nodes are initialized, the sensor nodes transmit packets into the network based on changes that are detected in their environment. Meanwhile, the actor nodes monitor the network for packets that contain information of scenes that are relevant to each node. Based on the information contained in each such packet, the node acts on the information by controlling its appliance function.
US09369367B2
A virtual tunnel method is described herein which implemented by a host and next hop routers to address a problem that is related to synchronizing active tunnel(s) and active link(s) between the host and next hop routers. Furthermore, a multiple tunnel management method is described herein which implemented by a host to address the problem that is related to synchronizing active tunnel(s) and active link(s) between the host and multiple next hop routers.
US09369362B2
A method of characterizing a communications channel between two communications nodes, the method comprising: determining at least one feature of a communications path between a first communications node and a second communications node; determining at least one feature of a communications path between the first communications node and a third communications node; transmitting at least one packet from the first node to propagate through the second and third nodes and return to the first node; and determining at least one feature of the communications channel between the second and third nodes responsive to receiving the packet at the first node, the at least one determined feature of the first node and the second node, and/or information comprised in the packet.
US09369361B2
A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for clearing hang calls in a communication network are disclosed. For example, the method detects a failure of an adjacent call stateful network element in a signaling path, identifies one or more calls that are affected by the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element, tests a media path of the one or more calls for activity and clears the one or more calls that are affected by the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element if the media path of the one or more calls is inactive.
US09369358B1
Providing streaming of applications from streaming servers onto clients. The applications are contained within isolated environments, and the isolated environments are streamed from the servers onto clients. The system may include the option of running both in on-line and off-line. When on-line, the system may include authentication of the streaming servers and authentication of clients and credentialing of the isolated environments and applications the clients are configured to run. The system may further include encrypted communication between the streaming servers and the clients. When off-line, the system may include the ability to run already installed isolated environments without requiring credentialing. The system may further include a management interface where administrators may add, remove and configure isolated environments, configure client policies and credentials, and force upgrades.
US09369356B2
The present technology may determine an anomaly in a portion of a distributed business application. Data can automatically be captured and analyzed for the portion of the application associated with the anomaly. By automatically capturing data for just the portion associated with the anomaly, the present technology reduces the resource and time requirements associated with other code-based solutions for monitoring transactions. A method for performing a diagnostic session for a request may begin with initiating collection of diagnostic data associated with a request. An application thread on each of two or more servers may be sampled. The application threads may be associated with the same business transaction and the business transaction may be associated with the request. The diagnostic data may be stored.
US09369355B1
A server computer system receives event logs from one or more client devices for multiple consumption sessions of an online media item. The event logs are received based on random schedules. The system determines, for various times, a first number of consumption sessions during which an event log is scheduled to be sent at the corresponding times. The system determines, for the various times, a second number of consumption sessions during which an event log was sent to the server computer system at the corresponding times. The determinations being based on the event logs. The system determine, for each of the times, a probability that consumption time for the online media item is the corresponding time or less. The determination is based on the first number and the second number. The system determines consumption time metrics for the online media item based the probabilities for the plurality of times.
US09369352B1
A method of improving the accuracy of a topology report, the topology report covering a plurality of operating systems on a plurality of servers, the servers comprising virtual servers and physical servers, the servers comprising a plurality of processors or CPUs or both, each CPU comprising one or more cores, the method comprising, executing a first script on a computer to perform a primary analysis that accesses physical servers via an enterprise network to identify the physical servers, processors and cores, and a plurality of installed operating systems. The method further comprises automatically creating a topology report on a computer, wherein the topology report records the results of the primary analysis, executing a second script on a computer to perform one or more secondary analysis that collects information identifying a plurality of virtual software installed on the servers, and amending the topology report based on at least one secondary analysis.
US09369351B2
In one embodiment, statistical information is collected relating to one or both of communication link quality or channel quality in a frequency-hopping network, in which packets are sent according to a frequency-hopping schedule that defines one or more timeslots, each timeslot corresponding to a transmission frequency. Also, a performance metric of a particular transmission frequency corresponding to a scheduled timeslot is predicted based on the collected statistical information. Based on the predicted performance metric, it is determined whether a transmitting node in the frequency-hopping network should transmit a packet during the scheduled timeslot using the particular transmission channel or wait until a subsequent timeslot to transmit the packet using another transmission frequency.
US09369348B2
A user interface can include an outage reporting section which has the option of adding of an outage by requesting outage information from the user and receiving the outage information from the user. An existing outage can also be viewed by providing the user with a search field for selecting an existing outage. The user interface can be configured to display information regarding the selected existing outage. The outage information from the user can be stored in a centralized database for viewing at a later time. A series of questions regarding the outage can presented to the user at a user interface, and the series of questions may include at least one drop-down menu with predetermined answers.
US09369333B1
A publisher service is disclosed which centralizes outbound communications between an email system and a third party service. The service receives a recipient response to an enhanced email to be sent to a third party service and acquires the email associated with the recipient response. The service then obtains sending instructions based on the enhanced email and sends the response to the third party service using the sending instructions.
US09369325B2
A method and an apparatus for transmitting broadcast signals thereof are disclosed. The method for transmitting broadcast signals comprises encoding DP (data pipe) data carrying at least one service, mapping the encoded DP data onto constellations, time interleaving the mapped DP data, building at least one signal frame including the time interleaved DP data, modulating data in the built at least one signal frame by an OFDM scheme and transmitting the broadcast signals having the modulated data, wherein the at least one signal frame includes emergency alert information.
US09369322B2
A method of decoding a received SC-FDMA symbol in a receiver in a OFDM communication system is described. The method comprises calculating an approximate constellation energy {circumflex over (K)} from channel matrices Hi for all subcarriers i, a noise covariance matrix S, and a data signal power matrix C associated with the OFDM symbol, an approximate constellation energy {circumflex over (K)}. The approximate constellation energy {circumflex over (K)} is calculated according to: Q i = H i H S - 1 H i ; Q ^ = 1 N sc ∑ i = 0 N sc - 1 Q i ; K ^ = diag ( ( Q ^ + C - 1 ) - 1 Q ^ ) The method further comprises decoding the received symbol using at least the associated approximate constellation energy {circumflex over (K)}. Also, a receiver, an apparatus, an OFDM communication system and a computer program product for such decoding are described.
US09369320B2
An all outdoor unit communication system, for performing cross polarization interference cancellation, is provided. The system includes a first outdoor unit (ODU) configured to receive a first directionally polarized signal, a first RF module configured to convert the first directionally polarized signal into a first in-phase (I) component and a first quadrature (Q) component, and a first modem configured to up-convert the first I and Q components from baseband into a first directionally polarized intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The system being configured to communicate, via an interconnect coupled to the first ODU, a second directionally polarized IF signal to the first ODU, and where the first modem is further configured to utilize the second directionally polarized IF signal to cancel out at least a portion of a first cross-polarization leakage at the first ODU.
US09369317B2
Circuitry for converting a multi-level signal into at least one binary signal, having a period T and comprising n signal levels, includes comparing and splitting circuitry configured for comparing a value of the multi-level signal with (n−1) different reference values, and having N sets of (n−1) output terminals for outputting N sets of (n−1) output signals indicating whether the value of the multi-level signal is below or above the (n−1) reference values. The circuitry also includes N sets of (n−1) sample-and-hold circuits having an input and an output and being configured for operating at a clock period N*T, wherein each output terminal is connected to the input of a sample-and-hold circuit. Further, the circuitry includes logical circuitry connected to the outputs of the N sets of (n−1) sample-and-hold circuits for generating at least one binary signal having a period N*T.
US09369311B2
A transmission circuit including four transmission component sets for Ethernet is provided. For each of the transmission component sets, a first capacitor and a first inductor are cascaded, the first inductor is coupled to the Ethernet connector via the first transmission line (TL), the first capacitor is coupled to the Ethernet chip via the second TL; a second capacitor and a second inductor are cascaded, the second inductor is coupled to the Ethernet connector via the third TL, the second capacitor is coupled to the Ethernet chip via the fourth TL; a first component set is coupled between a first contact and a second contact, the first contact is located between the first capacitor and the first inductor, and the second contact is located between the second capacitor and the second inductor; and a second component set is coupled between the second TL and the fourth TL.
US09369308B2
A signaling bus having a plurality of adjacent logical lanes, each logical lane having an odd signal path and an even signal path. Driving circuitry drives each logical lane by transmitting, if data has changed from an immediately preceding cycle, a one cycle signal having a first transition direction on the even signal path on even cycles and transmitting a one cycle signal having the first transition direction on odd cycles. If data has not changed, transmitting a two cycle signal having a second transition direction on the even signal path on even cycles and transmitting a two cycle signal on the odd path having the second transition direction on odd cycles. Receiver circuitry alternates selection of the even cycle path and the odd cycle path to determine if data has changed from the immediately preceding cycle.
US09369300B2
The present invention relates to state transition, especially relates to method and means for state transition of Ethernet linear protection switching. It is provided a method of state transition for a local end of a protection group of Ethernet linear protection switching in a local network element, and the method comprises receiving a first message configured to change the state of the local end with a first state, the first message being overridden by the first state; receiving a second message configured to change the state of the local end; determining a second state of the local end on the basis of the first message and the second message; and changing the state of the local end into the second state. In this way, there will be no unnecessary state transition and then no traffic loss caused by the unnecessary state transition.
US09369291B2
A method and apparatus for handling a communication session in a communications network. An Application Function node receives a request to register a user terminal in the communication network. The Application Function identifies an Access Point used by the terminal to register with the network, and send a request message to a Policy and Charging Register Function (PCRF). The request message includes an Access Point Name identifying an Access Point used by the user terminal. The AF receives a response message from the PCRF, including an indicator indicating whether the Access Point is an Emergency-Access Point. The AF subsequently receives a message from the user terminal that identifies a non-emergency terminating node. If the indicator indicates that the Access Point is not an Emergency-Access Point, the AF allows the communication session. If the indicator indicates that the Access Point is an Emergency-Access Point, then the AF rejects the communication session.
US09369288B1
Systems and techniques can include one or more computer-implemented methods that include: digitally signing Universal Resource Locator (URLs), which have been isolated from a source playlist document, to generate digitally signed URLs; generating a protected playlist document from the digitally signed URLs; and providing the protected playlist document for use in a video on demand system. The digitally signed URLs can be in a protected master playlist document and can point to two or more sub-playlist documents, which can themselves be protected. The digitally signed URLs can be in a protected sub-playlist document and can point to encrypted video fragments. In addition, a URL of the protected master playlist document can itself be digitally signed, and the digitally signed master playlist URL can be sent to a mobile device in response to a request for video from the mobile device.
US09369285B2
A user device generates a social graph-based user certificate that conveys a trust level to other users of the social network. A user certificate for a user is obtained, the user having a user public key and corresponding user private key. A plurality of potential signers is identified within one or more social networks. The certificate is then sent to the identified plurality of potential signers. One or more signed versions of the user certificate may be received from at least some of the plurality of potential signers. The user device may assign a signer weight to each signed version of the user certificate, each corresponding signer weight associated with the signer of each signed version of the certificate. The user certificate, the user signature, one or more signed versions of the user certificate, and the user-assigned signer weights are distributed to one or more recipients.
US09369280B2
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for enabling the use of secret digital or electronic information without exposing the sensitive information to unsecured applications. In certain embodiments, the methods may include invoking, by a client application executing in an open processing domain, a secure abstraction layer configured to interface with secret data protected by a secure processing domain. Secure operations may be securely performed on the secret data by the secure abstraction layer in the secure processing domain based on an invocation from a client application running in the open processing domain.
US09369272B2
One feature pertains to the synchronization of a serial time-division-multiplexed bus interconnecting an audio processing subsystem (i.e. a local node) with an audio coder-decoder (CODEC) subsystem (i.e. a remote node.) Control signals are transmitted along a bidirectional transmission line of the bus from the audio processing subsystem to the audio CODEC subsystem. The audio processing subsystem tracks an internal state machine phase count as the control signals are transmitted. The audio CODEC subsystem also tracks an internal state machine phase count as the signals are received. Transmission of control signals by the audio processing subsystem is periodically paused or suspended for a fixed interval of time based on the phase count to allow the audio CODEC subsystem to send a synchronization indicator signal back to the audio processing subsystem, which the audio processing subsystem uses to verify synchronization. This may be performed, for example, once every one hundred-twenty phase counts.
US09369267B2
The effect of timing inaccuracy is compensated for in a communication receiver that receives a transmission of bits temporally separated by a bit interval. The compensation employs an oversampling clock whose frequency defines a sampling interval that is smaller than the bit interval, which bit interval is nominally a predetermined integer multiple of the sampling interval. The oversampling clock samples the received transmission to produce an incoming sample stream. The incoming sample stream is decoded by a plurality of different decoding operations to produce, respectively, a plurality of decoded sample streams. It is determined whether the received transmission is decodable from any of the decoded sample streams.
US09369264B2
An improved Eighth-Order Statistics (EOS) blind phase recovery method is proposed for high-order coherent modulation formats. The method combining EOS blind phase estimate with maximum-likelihood (ML) carrier phase estimate uses multi-stage feed-forward carrier phase recovery algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed new algorithm can reduce the required computational effort by more than a factor of 3 for 16-QAM system.
US09369260B2
Provided are methods and systems of using division-free duplexing (DFD) in a communication network. Techniques for applying DFD in a communication network may decrease bottlenecks in the network by allowing one or more network nodes to transmit and on substantially the same frequency and at substantially the same time. In one embodiment, one or more nodes in the network may be DFD enabled, and may be configured to operate in either a conventional mode or a DFD mode. The mode of operation of DFD enabled nodes may depend on the quality of signals transmitted to and/or received at the DFD enabled nodes. Further, the mode of operation may change dynamically, and may be substantially controlled by any suitable processor in the network.
US09369255B2
Message dissemination speed is increased during multicast operations in a network by intelligently selecting one or more feedback time slots for use by destination nodes. In at least one implementation, a feedback time slot is selected based upon probabilities that a plurality of data packets will be successfully distributed to a plurality of destination nodes by various future time slots. These probabilities may be estimated based on, for example, packet erasure probabilities in the network. In some implementations, only destination nodes that have not yet successfully received a plurality of data packets are permitted to transmit feedback during feedback time slots.
US09369252B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for supporting common reference signaling in wireless communications systems. Some configurations introduce a phase discontinuity between common reference signal (CRS) transmissions on different subframes. This may address issues that may arise when a reduced CRS periodicity is utilized. Indicators may also be transmitted from base stations to user equipment (UEs) to indicate whether phase continuity may be assumed or not. Some configurations may support CRS sequence initialization. These tools and techniques may utilize an extended CRS sequence periodicity, which may increase the number of CRS sequences transmitted by a cell.
US09369242B2
A method of wireless communication includes receiving an uplink grant for one or more pending HARQ processes waiting to perform a retransmission. The method also includes selecting each pending HARQ process that has not received a NACK. The method further includes terminating an oldest selected HARQ process when the uplink grant is insufficient to perform the retransmission for the plurality of pending HARQ processes.
US09369234B2
Techniques for reporting channel state information (CSI) in a multi-carrier wireless communication system are disclosed. In some examples, a user equipment determines a configuration for reporting CSI for each component carrier (CC) in a plurality of component carriers. For a first subframe, the user equipment determines a priority for transmitting CSI associated with the plurality of CCs based at least in part on the configuration. The user equipment sends, in the first subframe, a CSI report including the prioritized CSI. The CSI report can include CSI for a single CC, or CSI for multiple CCs. For multi-CC reporting of CSI, the user equipment can multiplex CSI reports or CSI elements for the plurality of CCs up to an available payload size.
US09369232B2
In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, there are provided apparatus, systems and methods for impulse noise detection and mitigation. For example, in one embodiment such means include, means for detecting impulse noise; means for classifying the detected impulse noise into one of a plurality of impulse noise classes affecting communications on a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL line); means for selecting a noise mitigation strategy from among a plurality of noise mitigation strategies; means for applying the selected noise mitigation strategy; and means for validating application of the noise mitigation strategy.
US09369230B2
A method and apparatus for decoding the LTE physical broadcast channel (PBCH). The transmissions are made by an evolved NodeB (eNB). At least one template symbol sequence representative of a potential transmission by the eNB over the PBCH is provided. A signal or signals transmitted over the PBCH by the eNB is received, the signal or signals indicative of a received symbol sequence. Correlation operations are performed for correlating the at least one template symbol sequence against the received symbol sequence. A representative symbol sequence, timing parameter, or both, is selected, based on the correlation operations. The representative symbol sequence is indicative of information transmitted by the eNB over the LTE PBCH. The timing parameter is indicative of timing of said information transmitted by the eNB.
US09369229B2
A diagnostic processor (24) is installed in a router (2) on the user side of a network termination. This processor can be downloaded from the network and can in turn be downloaded to user terminals in a local network. On detection of a fault, the processor retrieves data from a store of fault rectification instructions, for display in a form appropriate to a user terminal, giving the user instruction appropriate to the fault condition detected and the type of router being used. This allows the user to rectify the problem without recourse to online or telephone helplines, which may be unavailable because of the prevailing fault condition.
US09369227B2
A first and second head-end terminal and at least one optical add/drop filter device are connected to form a transmission path. Each head-end terminal is connected through an optical fiber to a western or eastern WDM port of an adjacent optical add/drop filter device, and each optical add/drop filter device is connected, at an eastern or western WDM port, to a western or eastern WDM port of an adjacent optical add/drop filter device. At least one tail-end terminal is connected to each optical add/drop filter device, wherein a first and second channel port of the respective add/drop tail-end terminal is connected to a dedicated first and second channel port of the optical add/drop filter device through a respective optical fiber. The head-end terminals, the optical add/drop filter devices, and the tail-end terminals are adapted to establish bidirectional communication between each tail-end terminal and the first and second head-end terminal.
US09369226B2
Controlling performance in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) radio node is provided. The TDD radio node having multiple parallel branches and antennas for radio transmission of signals propagating through a transmit chain in each of the branches before emission from the antennas. A signal generator generates a signal that propagates through each branch. A signal tapper taps the signal from each of the branches after the transmit chain. A control unit determines a timing of the tapped signal from each of the branches, and monitors timing alignment of the branches based on the determined timing of tapped signals. If it is discovered that there is a timing misalignment between the branches that exceeds a preset acceptable limit, a transmission delay can be adjusted for at least one of the branches to reduce the misalignment.
US09369218B1
Design systems are provided to assist users in designing circuits that include communications links. A communications link may include a transmitter link subsystem, a receiver link subsystem, and a channel subsystem that interconnects the transmitter and receiver subsystems. A user may specify global link performance characteristics such as bit error rate and data rate. Measured link subsystem performance characteristics may be gathered and stored in a database as probability distribution functions. When analyzing a link, known link subsystems parameters supplied by the user may be used to retrieve appropriate link subsystem performance data. The retrieved link subsystem data and the global link performance data may be analyzed and used to produce recommended subsystem limits. A logic design system may use information on a user's logic design and the recommended limits in producing programmable logic device configuration data.
US09369206B2
Embodiments provide systems and methods for enabling the support of multiple Ethernet Passive Optical Network over Coax (EPoC) channels, which can be bonded together into a single high-speed channel. The multiple EPoC channels can be configured according to available spectrum, such that they occupy one or more, frequency contiguous or separated, segments of the available spectrum. The size (number of sub-carriers) of each of the channels can be configured according to embodiments based on the available spectrum and/or other requirements (e.g., EPoC emission requirements, existing services, etc.). Further, within each channel, individual sub-carriers can be configured independently, including turning each sub-carrier on/off and/or specifying the symbol bit loading for the sub-carrier independently of other sub-carriers in the channel.
US09369205B2
Linearized optical transmitter units are described for a hybrid optical fiber coaxial cable network. The linearized optical transmitter unit can comprise a directly-modulated or externally-modulated laser optically coupled to an optical conduit directed to an optical fiber communications link and electrically coupled to an electrical RF source line that provides an RF source to drive the laser or an external modulator for a light beam from the laser. A linearization information electrical component comprising memory and/or a processor, and a data output configured to transmit linearization enabling data for input into a direct digital synthesis engine that enables the direct digital synthesis engine to generate an RF signal wherein nonlinear responses of the transmitter and/or the optical fiber communications link are pre-compensated, in which the data is specific for the optical transmitter and/or the optical fiber communications link. An electronic communication channel can connected to the data output of the electrical component to communicate the linearization enabling data external to the linearized optical transmitter unit suitable for communication to the direct digital synthesis engine. The linearized optical transmitter can be assembled in a plug-in module. Corresponding HFC systems and methods are also described.
US09369204B2
A system for measuring a linewidth of an optical signal includes an optical sensor determining a set of measurements of the linewidth of the optical signal propagated over different distances. Each measurement corresponds to a different distance, and includes a white frequency modulation (FM) noise and a low frequency FM noise. The system also includes a processor for determining values of the white FM noise and the LF FM noise reducing a difference between the measurements and values of the linewidth of the optical signal calculated for the different distances with the values of the white FM noise and the LF FM noise.
US09369202B2
There are provided an optical transponder having a first end and a second end, as well as an electric switch having the transponder. The transponder includes an optical interface, at the first end, having a variable rate optical transmitter and a variable rate optical receiver to respectively transmit and receive signals using at least one of different bandwidths and different bit rates. The transponder further includes an electrical interface, at the second end, having an electrical interface throughput matching an optical capacity of the optical interface. The transponder also includes a processor for controlling the optical capacity.
US09369198B2
A communication system allows communication between two users separated by a long distance includes a source ground station, a constellation, one or more linking-gateways, and a destination ground station. The constellation includes groups of communication devices orbiting or traveling around the earth. A first communication device of a first group of communication devices is in communication with the source ground station and receives a communication from the source ground station. The linking-gateway is in communication with at least the first and a second group of communication devices. The linking-gateway receives the communication from the first group of communication devices and sends the communication to a second communication device of the second group of communication devices. The destination ground station is in communication with the second group of communication devices, the destination ground station receiving the communication from a communication device of the second group of communication devices.
US09369197B2
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for detecting a communication channel in whose frequency band radio signals are transmitted by different radio signal sources inside a cabin. In this case a wide band antenna receives the radio signals transmitted inside the cabin. Different demodulators are provided, each of which demodulate the radio signals received by the wide band antenna within an associated frequency range of the demodulator. A configuration logic establishes whether, in a frequency band within a demodulated frequency range, radio signals are being transmitted simultaneously by different radio signal sources. In the case of impermissible signal transmissions of a radio signal source, e.g. when a non-safety-relevant system transmits signals in the same frequency band of a safety-relevant system in the same frequency bands of a safety-relevant system, the non-safety-relevant system is reconfigured by the configuration logic and an alarm or warning signal is generated as an indication of the impermissible condition.
US09369190B2
A codebook C is provided in a MIMO transmitter as well as a MIMO receiver. The codebook C will include M codewords ci, where i is a unique codeword index for each codeword ci. Each codeword defines weighting factors to apply to the MIMO signals, and may correspond to channel matrices or vectors to apply to the MIMO signals prior to transmission from the respective antennas of the MIMO transmitter. The present invention creates codeword subsets S1 for each codeword c1 of the codebook C. Each codeword subset S1 defines L codewords cj, which are selected from all the codewords ci in the codebook C. The codewords cj in a codeword subset S1 are the L codewords in the entire codebook that best correlate with the corresponding codeword ci.
US09369189B2
A method of feeding back channel information by a receiver in a communication system beam forming is provided. The method includes determining an optimum reception beam using intensities of reference signals received through transmission beams of a base station for a first period through a first path for mapping analog beams of an input signal, and determining an optimum transmission beam of the transmission beams using intensities of reference signals received through the optimum reception beam for a second period through a second path for mapping analog beams of the input signal, and transmitting channel information measured by using a reference signal received through the optimum transmission beam and the optical reception beam to a transmitter.
US09369180B1
An apparatus is provided for data communication over power lines in a PLC system. The apparatus includes a data-coupling circuit configured to provide data to the power lines for transmission. The data-coupling circuit includes a DC-isolation circuit configured to isolate circuitry of the data-coupling circuit from the power lines. The apparatus also includes a feedback circuit connected to the DC-isolation circuit. The feedback circuit has a power-tap circuit on an endpoint side of the feedback circuit. The power-tap circuit is configured to provide a feedback signal indicative of an estimate of an amount of power, current, and/or voltage provided from the data-coupling circuit through the DC-isolation circuit and to the power lines. Based on the feedback the signal, the strength of a transmitted may be adjusted (e.g., to maintain constant signal strength).
US09369170B2
A protective case for a mobile device has a body removably disposed on the mobile device and a movable lens cover disposed on the body proximate to the first camera lens. The movable lens cover includes a first lens occlusion section and a first sensor access section. The movable lens cover can have at least two positions in relation to the mobile device. A fully exposed position exposes both the first camera lens and the at least one sensor of the mobile device, and a first partially occluded position disposes the first lens occlusion section over the first camera lens preventing light from reaching the first camera lens and disposes the first sensor access section over the at least one sensor allowing the at least one sensor to receive the input.
US09369169B2
A cover for a portable consumer electronic device is provided with an integrated mobile communication device. The integrated mobile communication device enables decoupling of the consumer electronics device from the modem used for wireless communication. This enables the certification and approval of the end consumer electronic device and the mobile wireless communication modem device to be done separately, and also enables the replacement of the mobile wireless communication modem device in an easier and less expensive manner. The user can choose among different wireless communication technologies such as 2G/3G/4G, as well as service from different network operators, without tying up the consumer electronic device with any particular mobile wireless communication modem technology or network operator. The cover includes a connector for connection between the integrated mobile communication device and the batter of the consumer electronic device. The cover may also include a backup battery for use by the consumer device.
US09369166B1
An earpiece attachment for use with a cell phone has a body with a first end of the second end with a hole formed therethrough, and a trumpet affixed to the body in a location over a hole of the body. The first and second ends are suitable for engaging a surface of the cell phone. The body has a length suitable for extending across a width of the cell phone. The trumpet is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The extended position is suitable for extending into or adjacent to an ear canal of the user. A resilient member is fitted within the trumpet so as to urge the trumpet toward the extended position. A lock is affixed to the body and is suitable for maintaining the trumpet in the retracted position.
US09369154B2
A digital broadcasting system and a data processing method are disclosed. A receiving system of the digital broadcasting system includes a receiving unit, an SI handler, and a decoding unit. The receiving unit receives broadcast signals including mobile service data and main service data. The mobile service data configure a data group, and the data group includes a signaling information region in some of a plurality of data regions. The signaling information region may include TPC signaling data and FIC signaling data. The SI handler acquires channel configuration information of the mobile service data from the broadcast signal using pre-decided IP access information, and extracts encoding format information for each IP stream component within a corresponding virtual channel service RTP-packetized and received from the acquired channel configuration information. The decoding unit decodes the mobile service data of the corresponding IP stream component based upon the extracted encoding format information.
US09369151B2
An apparatus and a method for allocating network resources in a fair manner. The method includes determining for a first matrix of a certain dimension and a corresponding set of predetermined numbers, a second allocation matrix, wherein the numbers allocated to cells of the second matrix are such that the sum of the numbers in any row, column, diagonal, or anti-diagonal equal the same number. Based on predetermined priorities, a row, column, diagonal, or an anti-diagonal of the second allocation matrix is selected to correspond to the allocated network resources.
US09369141B2
A system includes a clock interconnect network having an input node and a plurality of output nodes. The clock interconnect network receives a clock input at the input node and distributes, based on the clock input, a plurality of clock signals via respective ones of the plurality of output nodes. A propagation delay of each of the plurality of clock signals distributed by the clock interconnect network is approximately equal to respective propagation delays of others of the plurality of clock signals distributed by the clock interconnect network. A digital-to-analog converter includes a plurality of segments, each outputting a respective output, and a plurality of drivers. Each of the plurality of drivers receives a respective one of the plurality of clock signals and provides a driver signal to a respective one of the plurality of segments based on the respective one of the plurality of clock signals.
US09369139B1
Methods and apparatuses are described to reduce phase noise in a low noise fractional reference-injection phase locked loop (FRIPLL). The FRIPLL includes a ring voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). An output of the ring VCO is input to a fractional interpolative frequency divider (FIFD). A signal comparison circuit receives a reference clock signal and a further delayed output of the FIFD. The signal comparison circuit produces a control voltage signal in response to a phase difference between the reference clock signal and the further delayed output of the FIFD. The control voltage signal is input to the ring VCO to control a ring VCO frequency. An oscillator control circuit has a first input and a second input. The first input is a first delayed output of the FIFD. The second input is the reference clock signal. The oscillator control circuit generates a realignment signal which is used to realign a state transition in a ring VCO output signal to the reference clock signal when the ring VCO output signal is in a low state. Realignment occurs repeatedly at a frequency of the reference clock signal.
US09369138B1
A technique for calibrating a digital-to-time converter includes an apparatus including a digital-to-time converter configured to generate an output signal based on a digital code, an input signal, and a gain calibration signal. The output signal has edges linearly delayed from corresponding edges of the input signal based on the digital code. The digital code vacillates between an evaluation code and a calibration code. The apparatus includes a reference signal generator configured to provide a delayed version of the input signal. The delay of the reference signal generator is matched to a delay of the digital-to-time converter. The apparatus includes a calibration circuit configured to generate the gain calibration signal based on the output signal and the delayed version of the input signal. The calibration code may alternate between a first calibration delay code and a second calibration delay code.
US09369132B2
The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for data tag control for quantum dot cellular automata (QCA). An example method includes receiving data, associating a data tag with the data, communicating the data tag along a first wire-like element to a local tag decoder, reading instructions from the data tag using the local tag decoder, communicating the instructions to a processing element, communicating the data along a second wire-like element to the processing element, and processing the data with the processing element according to the instructions. A length of the first wire-like elements and a length of the second wire-like element are approximately the same such that communication of the instructions and the data to the processing element are synchronized.
US09369129B2
A semiconductor device is implemented with a technology for removing a command bubbling generated when performing a rank-to-rank switching on chips that are stacked and interconnected through a through silicon via (TSV). The semiconductor device includes a first memory, a second memory stacked over the first memory to input/output data through a TSV, and an arbiter configured to adjust first data received from the first memory and second data received from the second memory through the TSV and provide the adjusted data to an input/output (I/O) pad.
US09369127B1
Transducers formed as part of a touchscreen system emulate the motion of a pushbutton or other mechanical elements. A touchscreen system positions a transducer adjacent to an icon displayed on the touchscreen surface. When a user touches the icon, the transducer senses the touch and is then deformed in a pattern that emulates a mechanical motion, giving the user the sensation of touching a mechanical button. An excitation signal applied to the transducer is compared to a target excitation signal that, when applied to the transducer, causes the transducer to emulate the desired motion. When any differences between the two signals are detected, the excitation signal is adjusted so that the motion is corrected. The target excitation signal, or time and voltage segments defining it, are stored in memory and retrieved for comparison. The excitation signal is also selected to reduce any acoustic artifacts that can cause the transducer to generate audible clicks.
US09369126B1
A PV system may be used in case of emergencies. Each individual photovoltaic module receives a signal to determine if it is allowed to be operational or must shut down. Modules by default are shut off and safe to handle, absent the signal and in the presence of light.
US09369123B2
A power-on reset circuit of one embodiment includes first and second power supplies, first and second detecting circuit, a differentiation circuit, a current mirror circuit and a latch circuit. The second power supply is generated from a voltage of the first power supply and supplies a voltage lower than the first power supply. The first detecting circuit detects rise of a voltage of the second power supply. A current corresponding to a change in potential of the first power supply flows through the differentiation circuit. The current mirror circuit multiplies the current flowing through the differentiation circuit. The second detecting circuit senses stoppage of output current of the current mirror circuit and detects completion of the rise of the voltage of the first power supply. The latch circuit is reset by an output signal of the first detecting circuit and set by an output signal of the second detecting circuit.
US09369111B1
Methods of designing surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters and SAW filters fabricated on piezoelectric substrates are disclosed. A filter design including two or more SAW resonators may be established. Admittances of relevant plate modes associated with each of the two or more SAW resonators may be modeled and added in parallel with the admittances of the respective SAW resonators. The filter design including the admittances of relevant plate modes may be iterated to establish a final filter design that satisfies a set of design requirements.
US09369104B2
An example implementation involves a first playback device receiving a first audio signal comprising content in a first frequency range to be played by the first playback device. The first playback device determines a first limiting result that represents playback of a second audio signal by a second playback device by applying, to the second audio signal, a pre-determined volume-limiting function that is associated with the second playback device, the second audio signal comprising content in a second frequency range that is different from the first frequency range. The first playback device determines another volume-limiting function based on the first limiting result and applies the determined volume-limiting function to the first audio signal to scale a playback volume of the first audio signal.
US09369100B2
A traveling wave amplifier including differential circuits to suppress the backward wave effect is disclosed. The differential amplifier includes two cascade units providing a switching transistor, a static cascade transistor, and a dynamic cascade transistor connected in series. The dynamic cascade transistor provides a feedback circuit to feed the collector output to the base input thereof through a resistive divider in lower frequencies and a capacitive divider in high frequencies.
US09369091B2
A dual feedback low noise amplifier includes a negative-feedback capacitive mutual-coupled common-gate amplifier of parallel-input parallel-output (PIPO) composed of a first transistor, a second transistor, a first coupling capacitor and a second coupling capacitor and a positive-feedback common-gate amplifier of parallel-input parallel-output (PIPO) composed of the first transistor, the second transistor, a first transformer and a second transformer. By means of dual feedback, the transconductance gain of the dual feedback low noise amplifier is increased, and the noise figure of the dual feedback low noise amplifier is decreased.
US09369087B2
A monolithic integrated circuit (IC), and method of manufacturing same, that includes all RF front end or transceiver elements for a portable communication device, including a power amplifier (PA), a matching, coupling and filtering network, and an antenna switch to couple the conditioned PA signal to an antenna. An output signal sensor senses at least a voltage amplitude of the signal switched by the antenna switch, and signals a PA control circuit to limit PA output power in response to excessive values of sensed output. Stacks of multiple FETs in series to operate as a switching device may be used for implementation of the RF front end, and the method and apparatus of such stacks are claimed as subcombinations. An iClass PA architecture is described that dissipatively terminates unwanted harmonics of the PA output signal. A preferred embodiment of the RF transceiver IC includes two distinct PA circuits, two distinct receive signal amplifier circuits, and a four-way antenna switch to selectably couple a single antenna connection to any one of the four circuits.
US09369085B1
In an example embodiment, an apparatus includes an LC circuit having a capacitive circuit and an inductive circuit connected in a circuit loop. The inductive circuit includes one or more inductive elements and a switching circuit. In a first mode, the switching circuit provides a direct-current charge voltage across the LC circuit and prevents oscillation of energy between the capacitive circuit and the inductive circuit by opening a switch in the circuit loop of the LC circuit. In a second mode, the switching circuit enables oscillation of energy between the capacitive circuit and the inductive circuit by closing the switch in the circuit loop.
US09369078B2
A motor control system for determining a reference d-axis current is provided, and includes a motor, a DC power source and DC input lines, and a current command controller. The DC power source generates a bridge voltage across the DC input lines. The current command controller is in communication with the motor and the DC input lines. The current command controller is configured to monitor the bridge voltage and a torque reference command. The current command controller is configured to determine a peak current based on the torque reference command. The current command controller is configured to determine a current angle based on the peak current. The current command controller is configured to determine the reference d-axis current based on the current angle.
US09369075B2
An alternator has a field coil that produces a magnetic field which induces electricity in a coil arrangement. A field coil excitation system includes a generator with an output coil assembly for producing alternating electricity. A rectifier converts the alternating electricity into voltage and direct current at two nodes. A capacitor, between the nodes, has capacitance that forms a resonant circuit with inductance of the output coil assembly. Due to that resonant circuit, the voltage and direct current oscillate in a predefined phase relationship. A switch and the field coil are connected in series between the nodes. A controller renders the switch conductive for a time period specified by a received control signal. The switch is rendered non-conductive at the first occurrence of a minimum current level after the time period ends. The predefined phase relationship enables the minimum current level to be detected by sensing the voltage.
US09369074B2
An electric power supply system includes: an AC generator having a drooping characteristic; a rectification section for converting AC output of the AC generator to DC; a load having an electric storage device supplied with power from the AC generator; and a control section provided between the rectification section and the load. The control section controls the AC generator so that the AC generator operates at predetermined voltage lower than output voltage corresponding to the maximum power operation point of the AC generator.
US09369062B2
A method for converting DC power from a source into AC power by means of an inverter which includes three bridge branches, each having a phase output, is described. During grid-connected operation, the bridge branches are actuated in such a way that the AC power is fed, as three-phase grid-compliant power, into a grid. During emergency operation of the inverter, the AC power is provided as single-phase island grid by two of the three bridge branches at the phase outputs thereof, wherein the inverter is disconnected from the grid.
US09369057B1
An electricity generator comprises a core having an interior chamber having a top portion and a bottom portion. The core is held at a vacuum. A frequency generator is provided for introducing and inputting electromagnetic waves into the interior chamber. A point source waveguide tube is provided to connect the frequency generator and the core, and the point source waveguide tube allows the passage of electromagnetic waves from the frequency generator into the interior chamber of the core. In addition, a plurality of electrodes is provided which extend into the interior chamber and conduct the flow of electricity away from a lining on the interior chamber.
US09369056B2
A power converter is provided for direct conversion of multi-phase AC power to AC power. The power converter includes a conversion circuit and a plurality of output lines. The conversion circuit has first and second switching elements that are configured to be connected to phases of the multi-phase AC power for bidirectional switching of energizing current. The output lines are connected to the conversion circuit. The first and second switching elements have output terminals. The output terminals of the first and second switching elements are arranged in first and second rows. The output terminals of the first and second switching elements face each other. The first output lines include two first output lines including first and second widely shaped bus bars connected to the output terminals of the first and second switching elements, respectively. The first output lines extending out in one direction, and line up in an upright direction.
US09369048B2
A controller for a power converter includes an edge detection circuit and a drive circuit. The edge detection circuit includes a comparator, a count module, and an edge checking module. The comparator is coupled to output a compare signal in response to comparing an input sense signal and a count signal. The input sense signal is representative of an input voltage of the power converter. The count module is coupled to adjust the count signal to track the input sense signal in response to receiving the compare signal. The edge checking module is coupled to output at least one edge signal in response to the compare signal. The drive circuit is coupled to output a drive signal in response to the at least one edge signal. The drive signal is for controlling a switch coupled to regulate an output of the power converter.
US09369040B1
A voltage regulator and/or associated circuitry provides an indication of average current consumed or drawn by a load, level and magnitude of transient events, and regulation efficiency. A dynamic voltage and frequency scaling governor makes use of the indication of average current consumed or drawn by the load, level and magnitude of transient events, and regulation efficiency to help optimize operation of the load, with respect to power and/or performance.
US09369031B2
The invention relates to an electromagnetic actuator having a magnetically soft housing with at least two field coils which are distanced from each other axially, and an armature which is mounted in the housing concentrically to the field coils and which can slide axially, wherein the armature has at least one permanent magnet ring which encloses the armature radially. According to the invention, a non-magnetic sleeve is included which, together with the permanent magnet ring, radially surrounds the armature.
US09369021B2
A winding assembly for an electric generator includes a stator core having a relatively cylindrical inner shape. Also included is a rotor core coaxially rotatable within the stator core, wherein the rotor core includes an input shaft. Further included is a rotor winding support structure on the rotor core and comprising a surface disposed at an angle relative to the input shaft and extending radially outward from the input shaft toward the stator core. Yet further included is a rotor winding bundle disposed along, and supported by, the surface of the rotor winding support structure.
US09369018B2
A manufacturing method for manufacturing a rotating electrical machine equipped with a stator that includes a continuously wound coil unit achieved by continuously winding concentrated winding-type coils via cross wires, with coil wire having a rectangular section. The manufacturing method includes: mounting core segments, at which the coil wire is yet to be wound, at a core segment forward/backward moving mechanism; winding the coil wire with a winding track secured by driving the core segments forward/backward via the core segment forward/backward moving mechanism; setting faces of the coil wire in alignment by holding orientations of winding start wire and winding end wire at the concentrated winding-type coils at approximately 90° via open/close type chucks each equipped with a chuck forward/backward moving mechanism, with the open/close type chucks mounted at the core segment forward/backward moving mechanism; and forming the continuously wound coil unit by driving the core segments forward/backward via the core segment forward/backward moving mechanism, driving the open/close type chucks forward/backward and opening/closing the open/close type chucks.
US09369016B2
A rotor (1) for an electric machine, in particular a permanently excited synchronous machine. At least one recess (20) is formed on the outer wall (12) of the receiving space (6) and forms a non-magnetizable space (29) adjacent to the lengthwise surface (10) of the permanent magnet (7). Due to this non-magnetizable space (29), iron losses in the stator teeth can be reduced in particular during operation of the electric machine in the field weakening range, which may result in a rise in efficacy of up to 3% for the electric machine.
US09369013B2
Disclosed therein is a rotor for a motor. The rotor includes: a rotor core including an annular ring having a shaft hole formed at a central portion thereof, a plurality of yokes formed around the annular ring, and magnet insertion holes formed between the neighboring yokes; magnets respectively inserted into the magnet insertion holes; and a pair of rotor covers each having a ring plate, which has a shaft insertion hole formed at a central portion thereof, and a plurality of stoppers protrudingly formed around the ring plate. A pair of the rotor covers are joined to an upper portion and a lower portion of the rotor core in such a fashion that the stoppers are respectively located at side portions of the magnet insertion holes.
US09369004B2
An inductive-charging device mounts into a through hole of a furniture item, such as a desk. The device generally includes a housing that mounts into the through hole and that provides a compartment for a controller, primary coil, and other electronic components used to provide inductive charging. The device might be mounted so that it at least partially extends above a work surface of a desk. Alternatively, a top of the device might be flush with the work surface.
US09368994B2
A dynamic charging device includes a detection module for generating a detection signal according to an input signal, a control module coupled to the detection module for generating a control signal according to the detection signal, and an output module coupled to the control module for dynamically adjusting amounts of the input signal according to the control signal and the input signal, so as to process a charging operation for a load module, wherein the input signal is an input current or a voltage source.
US09368988B2
A method for charging an external device and a display using the method are provided. The method includes, determining whether the external device is chargeable and connected to the display through a connector when the displaying apparatus is in a standby mode; and if it is determined that the external device is chargeable and connected, charging the external device through the connector in the standby mode. The display includes a power supply that supplies standby power or main power; a checker which determines, in a standby mode, whether an external device is connected and chargeable; and a controller. The controller controls the power supply to output standby power while the checker determines whether the external device is connected and is a chargeable device, and if the external device is connected and chargeable, controls the power supply to output main power to charge the external device.
US09368985B2
An electrical system, an input apparatus and a charging method for the input apparatus are provided. The input apparatus includes a main body, a processor, an antenna module, an energy storing component and an electrode. The main body includes a stylus body and a stylus head. The processor, antenna module and the energy storing component are disposed in the main body. The energy storing component is used to provide electrical energy to the processor and the antenna module. The electrode is disposed on a surface of the main body, and the electrode is coupled to the energy storing component. Wherein, when the stylus input apparatus contacts with the electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus provides an electrical energy to the energy storing component through the electrode.
US09368982B2
A wiring device for fastening in an electrical box is presented including a strap having first and second mounting holes to facilitate fastening of the wiring device to the electrical box, the first and second mounting holes lying on an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis and a housing having a face, the face having an area which is divided into first and second regions by a lateral axis, the lateral axis being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The wiring device further includes a first low voltage port being accessible through a first low voltage port aperture, a second low voltage port being accessible through a second low voltage port aperture, a third low voltage port being accessible through a third low voltage port aperture, and a fourth low voltage port being accessible through a fourth low voltage port aperture.
US09368977B2
Battery equalization circuits for series charging/discharging and controlling methods thereof are provided. The provided circuit includes a set of series-connected batteries, a switching converter and a magnetic element coupled balance circuit including a magnetic element coupled to the switching converter, wherein the magnetic element takes a branch current from the switching converter to the series-connected batteries so as to cause the set of series-connected batteries to reach a balance.
US09368970B2
One embodiment provides a charge/discharge instruction apparatus, including: a charge/discharge instruction unit which instructs a charge/discharge determination apparatus to perform a charge/discharge control of a battery; a charge/discharge information storage unit which stores charge/discharge information for charging/discharging the battery; a control unit which controls an access request to the battery based on the stored charge/discharge information and contents of the charge/discharge control; a generating unit which generates a communication message concerned with the access request controlled by the control unit; and a communication unit which transmits the communication message concerned with the access request to the charge/discharge determination apparatus.
US09368969B2
An alternating-current power line is wired in a building for supplying alternating-current electricity to an electric load. A bidirectional power converter converts bilaterally between alternating-current electricity and direct-current electricity. A power storage unit is connected to the alternating-current power line through the bidirectional power converter. The power storage unit is charged with electricity from the alternating-current power line and discharges direct-current electricity into the alternating-current power line. A charge-and-discharge unit charges a vehicular power accumulating device with alternating-current electricity supplied from the alternating-current power line through a connecting terminal and discharges electricity outputted as alternating-current electricity from the vehicle to the connecting terminal. A power converter converts alternating-current electricity outputted from the vehicle through the connecting terminal into direct-current electricity and discharges the converted direct-current electricity through the bidirectional power converter into the alternating-current power line.
US09368966B2
A device that removably attaches to existing power supplies or adapters to provide power to one or more additional electronic devices, while not interfering or affecting the power being supplied to the primary or main electronic device by the power supply or adapter. The adapters, interfaces, connectors, cords and other components described herein may be used with any applicable electronic device, including portable electronic devices. In one embodiment, the device attaches to and provides power to a laptop computer power adapter, while simultaneously providing power to a USB port or interface.
US09368961B2
Apparatus and methods for generating an overvoltage signal from a bias winding signal of a power converter transformer are disclosed. In one example, an overvoltage protection circuit may include a current augmentation circuit and a detection circuit. The current augmentation circuit may be coupled to receive the bias winding signal, which may be representative of the power converter output. The current augmentation circuit may include a threshold circuit and a filter circuit that may generate a filtered level shifted signal from the bias winding signal. The current augmentation circuit may generate an augmented signal from the filtered level shifted signal. The detection circuit may be coupled to receive the augmented signal and to generate an overvoltage signal by comparing the augmented signal with a reference voltage. When high asserted, the overvoltage signal may indicate a potential overvoltage condition at the output of the power converter.
US09368958B2
A circuit for protecting a transistor is disclosed. The circuit includes a temperature sensing device coupled to the transistor and a tunable clamping circuit connected between transistor terminals, wherein the tunable clamping circuit is configured to provide an adjustable clamping voltage. A temperature controller coupled to the temperature sensing device and the tunable clamping circuit is also included. The temperature controller is configured to trigger a change in a clamping voltage of the tunable clamping circuit based on a feedback from the temperature sensing device.
US09368957B2
A method for protecting a bipolar power distribution network supplied with power by an electric power source isolated from an electrical ground of an aircraft. The network includes a resistive protection device configured to be connected to the electrical ground and to the two phases of the network. The method includes the steps of receiving at least one voltage value on at least one of the two phases and/or at least one current value in the electrical ground, comparing the at least one voltage value with a first predetermined threshold value and/or the at least one current value with a second predetermined threshold value and controlling the protection device by changing its resistivity according to the comparison.
US09368954B1
An apparatus for providing electrical protection and reducing power consumption in data centers. In an aspect, an apparatus includes a hot swap control circuit that monitors a voltage drop across a fuse, and selectively connects a bus bar to a load, based on the monitored voltage. Further, the apparatus selectively disconnects the bus bar from the load when the hot swap control circuit indicates that the monitored voltage across the fuse has attained a voltage threshold.
US09368950B2
A connection includes one or more hollow tubular members extending outwardly from an exterior surface of a first member, a first thread provided on an exterior surface of the one or more hollow tubular members, one or more apertures formed through a thickness of a second member and sized to receive therethrough the one or more hollow tubular members, and one or more third members having a second thread sized to operatively engage the first thread, whereby the second member is securely connected to the first member.
US09368946B2
A linear actuating earthing switch configuration that moves movable contacts using linear motion in a single axis. The earthing switch includes a frame with a rail on a slide wall. A sliding carriage slides on the rail in a linear direction, the sliding carriage including a plurality of movable contacts. A stored energy element provides a linear expansion force between the frame and the sliding carriage when the earthing switch is in an open position.
US09368943B2
A spark plug having a metal shell, an insulator, a center electrode, a ground electrode, and a multi-layer sparking component. The multi-layer sparking component is attached at a firing end of the ground electrode and includes a thin precious metal layer formed overtop a base metal layer and, according to some embodiments, overhangs the end of the ground electrode. The precious metal and base metal layers may be pre-manufactured together as a bi-metal ribbon, sheet or laminate before the multi-layer sparking component is attached to the ground electrode.
US09368942B2
An ignition plug that promotes expansion of flame and enhances spark corrosion resistance, said plug includes a center electrode; a tubular insulator holding the center electrode; a tubular metallic shell holding the insulator; and a ground electrode having a bent portion and a facing end surface. A plurality of peak voltages can be applied to the center electrode after application of a voltage for trigger discharge thereto. When a forward end surface of the center electrode and the facing end surface are projected onto a plane orthogonal to axial direction of the center electrode, the projection of the center of the forward end surface and the projection of the facing end surface overlap with each other, and the projection of a remote-side edge portion of the facing end surface which is located on the side remote from the bent portion is located within the projection of the forward end surface.
US09368924B2
An electrical receptacle assembly with protective housing is adapted for installation in unconventional areas or surfaces, including areas that are more susceptible to spills or other contaminants than traditional mounting locations. The electrical receptacle assembly includes a receptacle subassembly with a main receptacle body and a front surface portion in which a plurality of electrical contacts are housed and made accessible to corresponding contacts of an electrical or electronic device. A housing defines a cavity for receiving the receptacle body, and a face plate is coupled to the housing and defines a receptacle opening for engaging and supporting the electrical receptacle subassembly. The face plate may take on many different sizes and shapes for a desired application, while the other components of the electrical receptacle assembly can remain the same.
US09368922B2
A connector includes a base having a top portion, a front portion, a back portion and two side portions, a terminal set disposed at the base and exposed from the top portion, a detecting assembly disposed at the base and a casing having a main body, an extension portion, two lateral portions and two first soldering legs. At least a part of the base, the terminal set and the detecting assembly are surrounded by the main body. The extension portion is extended from the main body above the top portion and folded towards the front portion to cover a part of the main body. The two lateral portions are connected to two sides of the extension portion and folded towards two sides of the base. The first soldering legs are connected to the lateral portions and extended away from the top portion. The main body and the extension portion have resilient portions and second resilient portions.
US09368919B2
The innovations relate to a plug connector (1) for mechanical and electrical connection to a corresponding mating plug connector, comprising a housing (2), a protective conductor bridge (3) and a plug insert, wherein the protective conductor bridge (3) is held on the housing (2), wherein the protective conductor bridge (3) has at least one connection region (9) for connection to the plug insert, and the plug insert is held on the at least one connection region (9).
US09368913B2
[Problem] To provide an electrical connector that suppresses cross-talk. [Resolution Means] An electrical connector includes a main body 14 and a cover 16, with the main body 14 and the cover 16 demarcating a space housing a cable 3; the main body 14 includes an upper housing 20, a lower housing 22, a wiring substrate 28 arranged between the upper housing 20 and the lower housing 22, and a shield member 30 arranged interposing the upper housing 20 and the lower housing 22; and the wiring substrate 28 includes a contact 24 for electrically connecting to the cable 3, a connection terminal 26 for electrically connecting to a mating connector, and connecting conductor wiring L for electrically connecting the contact 24 and the connection terminal 26.
US09368903B1
A connector assembly comprises front and rear connector bodies, a wire grommet with wire passages, and a nut. Tightening the nut forces a rearward portion of the grommet into a tapered segment of a passage through the rear connector body and a forward portion of the rear connector body into a front passage of the front connector body, thereby radially compressing the grommet and sealing the wires passing therethrough.
US09368896B2
A front portion of a terminal is provided with a flattened-rectangular tube-shaped box part for receiving a male tab terminal so as to establish contact and conduction thereto. Then, lock holes are provided at three parts of the center in the width direction of the box part and vicinities of both ends in the width direction. A lance for locking the terminal is formed in the shape of one plate. Three beaks protrude therefrom for engaging with the lock holes of the terminal. Further, the lance is provided with slits for improving elasticity and a linkage part for linking the three beaks together.
US09368885B2
A cable connector includes a circuit board, having a predetermined width in a manner passable through an elongated tube of an endoscope apparatus, disposed to extend in an axial direction. A terminal group is formed on the circuit board, for electrically contacting a socket connector. First and second land patterns are formed on the circuit board, arranged in the axial direction so that the terminal group is disposed therebetween, wherein a front end of a first electric line group having lines among electric lines of a cable structure is electrically coupled to the first land pattern, and a front end of a second electric line group having lines among the electric lines is coupled to the second land pattern. A wiring pattern is formed on the circuit board, for electrically coupling the first land pattern to the terminal group and coupling the second land pattern to the terminal group.
US09368881B2
An antenna for a radar detector according to the present invention comprises: a power supply unit; first and second branches branched from the power supply unit; a first band patch antenna connected to the first branch and having first band properties; a second band patch antenna connected to the second branch and having second band properties; a second band stub placed between the power supply unit and the first band patch antenna on the first branch; and a first band stub placed between the power supply unit and the second band patch antenna on the second branch. The antenna for the radar detector according to the present invention may match one power supply unit without damaging the properties of a plurality of antennas that have different frequency properties.
US09368867B2
System for positioning a reflector includes a base (112), yoke (104) and a reflector in the form of a lens mirror assembly (10). A motor (120) is mounted and remains substantially stationary with respect to rotation about a first axis while the yoke rotates about the first axis. A connecting rod (152) actuated for movement by the motor is mechanically coupled to the reflector so that movement of the connecting rod in relation to the yoke imparts rotation to the reflector about the second axis when the reflector is supported by the yoke. A mechanical drive system couples an output shaft of the motor to the connecting rod. The mechanical drive system is arranged so that it varies an angular position of the reflector at a rate which is linearly related to the rotation of the output shaft.
US09368865B2
The present invention relates to an antenna assembly (2, 102, 202, 302) comprising: a plurality of transmit antennas, at least one receive antenna (4), at least one shielding structure (6), and at least one frame (8), wherein the at least one frame is configured for: setting a pointing direction of a first transmit antenna (10) such that a first transmit minimum (16) of the first receive antenna (10) points towards a first zone (24), and setting a pointing direction of a second transmit antenna (12) such that a second transmit minimum (18) of the second antenna (12) points towards a second zone (26), whereby coupling of radiation from the plurality of transmit antennas to the receive antenna (4) is reduced.
US09368862B2
Provided is an antenna. The antenna, in one embodiment, includes a feed element having a first feed element end and a second feed element end, the first feed element end configured to electrically connect to a positive terminal of a transmission line. The antenna, in this embodiment, further includes a ground element having a first ground element end and a second ground element end, the first ground element end configured to electrically connect to a negative terminal of the transmission line. In this particular embodiment, the first ground element end is located proximate and inside the first feed element end, and the second ground element end is located proximate and outside the second feed element end.
US09368861B2
The present invention provides an omni-directional antenna element configuration having a compensated radiation pattern. Broadband antenna elements are coplanarly disposed on a suitable planar dielectric material. A single element omni-directional antenna comprises a pair of balanced fed radiating microstrip elements symmetrically disposed about the centerline of a balanced signal feed network. Additionally, a pair of pattern augmentation rods are positioned on each side of and proximate to the planar dielectric material running longitudinally to the centerline axis of a balanced feed network. Disposed proximate to each radiating element are partially coplanar, frequency bandwidth expanding microstrip lines. The combination of radiating elements together with pattern augmentation rods provides a broad bandwidth omni-directional radiating element suitable for use in multi-element antenna arrays.
US09368860B2
A patch antenna includes a ground electrode arranged on one surface of a dielectric layer, a first patch which has a shape of a trapezoid, is arranged inside the dielectric layer and radiates a signal having a first frequency, a second patch which has a shape of a trapezoid, is arranged on the other surface of the dielectric layer and radiates a signal having a second frequency, and two conductors which connect the short sides of the two patches with the ground electrode. The two patches are arranged such that the short sides are both located on the side of the same end of the dielectric layer. The first patch is fed power via a feeding point near the short side, and the second patch is fed power via a feeding point which is located between the end of the dielectric layer and the short side of the first patch.
US09368858B2
An L-shape Corner (LC) Antenna uses an L shaped antenna on the corner of a circuit board of a wireless device. A low band element is positioned and designed to resonate along the long dimension of the adjacent ground plane while a high band element is positioned and designed to resonate along the short dimension of the adjacent ground plane. The single antenna element provides two separate radiating sections that allow for optimization of low and high band resonances that are often required to service the cellular and other wireless frequency bands. The two radiating sections of the antenna provide different polarizations for the two resonances that assist in de-coupling the two resonances from each other.
US09368851B2
An arrangement is disclosed for providing the functionality of a four port, four channel rotary switch. The arrangement includes a first four port rotary microwave switch, the first switch including a first rotor and a first set of four waveguide ports, and a second four port rotary microwave switch, communicatively coupled to the first switch, the second switch including a second rotor and a second set of four waveguide ports. Each of the first switch and the second switch has at most three channels.
US09368846B2
A battery and methods of forming vanadium boride nanoparticles of an anode within a battery, and a method for recharging an air battery. The battery comprises an anode and a cathode in electrochemical contact with each other through an electrically neutral ionic conductor (an electrolyte). The cathode may comprise a catalyst effective for the reduction of dissolved oxygen. An electrical discharge of the anode is performed via multiple electron oxidation of vanadium boride.
US09368831B2
A rechargeable lithium cell comprising a cathode having a cathode active material, an anode having an anode active material, a porous separator electronically separating the anode and the cathode, a non-flammable quasi-solid electrolyte in contact with the cathode and the anode, wherein the electrolyte contains a lithium salt dissolved in a first organic liquid solvent with a concentration sufficiently high so that the electrolyte exhibits a vapor pressure less than 0.01 kPa when measured at 20° C., a flash point at least 20 degrees Celsius higher than the flash point of the first organic liquid solvent alone, a flash point higher than 150° C., or no flash point. This battery cell is non-flammable and safe, has a long cycle life, high capacity, and high energy density.
US09368827B2
A system and method for stacking battery cells or related assembled components. Generally planar, rectangular (prismatic-shaped) battery cells are moved from an as-received generally vertical stacking orientation to a generally horizontal stacking orientation without the need for robotic pick-and-place equipment. The system includes numerous conveyor belts that work in cooperation with one another to deliver, rotate and stack the cells or their affiliated assemblies. The belts are outfitted with components to facilitate the cell transport and rotation. The coordinated movement between the belts and the components promote the orderly transport and rotation of the cells from a substantially vertical stacking orientation into a substantially horizontal stacking orientation. The approach of the present invention helps keep the stacked assemblies stable so that subsequent assembly steps—such as compressing the cells or attaching electrical leads or thermal management components—may proceed with a reduced chance of error.
US09368818B2
A humidification control method includes the steps of detecting a direct current resistance component by measuring impedance during power generation of a fuel cell stack, calculating a reaction resistance component based on the detected direct current resistance component and a stack voltage, detecting a humidified state of the fuel cell stack based on the detected direct current resistance component and the calculated reaction resistance component, and adjusting a quantity of humidification of a reaction gas supplied to the fuel cell stack based on the detected humidified state of the fuel cell stack.
US09368817B2
A method for reconditioning a fuel cell stack. The method includes periodically increasing the relative humidity level of the cathode input airflow to the stack to saturate the cell membrane electrode assemblies to be greater than the relative humidity levels during normal stack operating conditions. The method also includes providing hydrogen to the anode side of the fuel cell stack at system shut down while the membrane electrode assemblies are saturated without stack loads being applied so that the hydrogen crosses the cell membranes to the cathode side and reacts with oxygen to reduce stack contaminants.
US09368814B2
A fuel cell module has a hydrogen recirculation pump and a controller. The controller receives a signal indicating the response of the pump to changes in the density or humidity of gasses in the hydrogen recirculation loop. The controller is programmed to consider the signal in controlling one or more balance of plant elements that effect the removal of water from the stack. In a process for operating the fuel cell module, the signal is considered when controlling one or more balance of plant elements that effect the removal of water from the stack. For example, an increase in current drawn from a constant speed or voltage recirculation pump indicates an increase in humidity and suggests that water should be removed from the stack, for example by increasing a coolant temperature set point.
US09368809B2
Various embodiments include interconnects and/or end plates having features for reducing stress in a fuel cell stack. In embodiments, an interconnect/end plate may have a window seal area that is recessed relative to the flow field to indirectly reduce stress induced by an interface seal. Other features may include a thicker protective coating and/or larger uncoated area of an end plate, providing a recessed portion on an end plate for an interface seal, and/or recessing the fuel hole region of an interconnect relative to the flow field to reduce stress on the fuel cell. Further embodiments include providing intermittent seal support to minimize asymmetric seal loading and/or a non-circular seal configuration to reduce stress around the fuel hole of a fuel cell.
US09368800B2
A grid for a battery having a plurality of spaced apart vertically extending and horizontally extending grid wire elements with each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces and with selected ones of the grid wire elements being joined at one of their ends to frame elements. Oppositely facing sides of the grid wire elements define first and second planes that are parallel to each other. Selected ones of the frame elements have an undulating cross section across the width thereof with an apex of the undulation on one side of the grid being tangential to or terminating at a third plane that is separate from and parallel to the first and second planes.
US09368799B2
[Problem] To provide a negative electrode collector for lithium ion secondary batteries, having a high strength and a large discharge capacity.[Means for Resolution] A negative electrode collector using a copper-covered steel foil 10 for carrying a negative electrode active material for lithium ion secondary batteries, which has a steel sheet 6 as the core material thereof and has, on both surfaces thereof, a copper covering layer 7 having a mean thickness tCu of from 0.02 to 5.0 μm on each surface, and of which the total mean thickness, t, including the copper covering layer 7 is from 3 to 100 μm with tCu/t of at most 0.3. To the steel sheet 6, for example, applicable is common steel, austenitic stainless steel or ferritic stainless steel. The copper covering layer 7 is, for example, a copper electroplating layer (including one rolled after plating). On the surface of the copper covering layer 7, for example, a carbon-based active material layer that has been densified through strong roll pressing is formed, and the copper-covered steel foil 10 and the carbon-based active material layer constitute the negative electrode collector.
US09368793B2
Highly dispersed lithium titanate crystal structures having a thickness of few atomic layers level and the two-dimensional surface in a plate form are supported on carbon nanofiber (CNF). The lithium titanate crystal structure precursors and CNF that supports these are prepared by a mechanochemical reaction that applies sheer stress and centrifugal force to a reactant in a rotating reactor. The mass ratio between the lithium titanate crystal structure and carbon nanofiber is preferably between 75:25 and 85:15. The carbon nanofiber preferably has an external diameter of 10-30 nm and an external specific surface area of 150-350 cm2/g. This composite is mixed with a binder and then molded to obtain an electrode, and this electrode is employed for an electrochemical element.
US09368791B2
The present invention relates to a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery, a method for preparing the same, and a lithium secondary battery including the same, and provides a cathode active material including: a lithium manganese-excess layered structure composite oxide represented by Formula Li[Lix-z(NiaCobMnc)1-x]O2-yFy (here, a+b+c=1, 0.05≦x≦0.33, 0≦y≦0.08, and 0
US09368790B2
A method for manufacturing a composite is disclosed. The method includes steps of (a) providing a powder in a first weight ratio, a graphene oxide in a second weight ratio, a first modifying agent having a first electric charge, and a second modifying agent having a second electric charge; (b) reacting the first modifying agent with the powder so that a surface of the powder has the first electric charge; (c) reacting the second modifying agent with the graphene oxide so that a surface of the graphene oxide has the second electric charge; and (d) mixing the powder having the first electric charge and the graphene oxide having the second electric charge to form a composite, wherein the first and the second electric charges are of opposite electrical polarities.
US09368787B2
A paste suitable for a negative plate of a lead-acid battery, the paste comprising lead oxide and carbon black, wherein the carbon black has the following properties: (a) a BET surface area between about 100 and about 2100 m2/g; and (b) an oil adsorption number (OAN) in the range of about 35 to about 360 cc/100 g, provided that the oil absorption number is less than the 0.14×the BET surface area+65.
US09368786B2
A positive active material including a lithium composite oxide and a transition metal oxide including a transition metal having an oxidation number smaller than an oxidation number when the transition metal is in the most stable state hinders generation of oxygen occurring during charging and provides a lithium battery with high-temperature preservation characteristics and high stability.
US09368777B2
Disclosed is an electrochemical device. The electrochemical device includes: (a) a composite separator including a porous substrate, a first porous coating layer coated on one surface of the porous substrate, and a second porous coating layer coated on the other surface of the porous substrate; (b) an anode disposed to face the first porous coating layer; and (c) a cathode disposed to face the second porous coating layer. The first and second porous coating layers are each independently composed of a mixture including inorganic particles and a binder polymer. The first porous coating layer is thicker than the second porous coating layer. The electrochemical device has good thermal stability and improved cycle characteristics.
US09368767B1
Battery corrosive electrolyte leakage is reduced by absorbing forces generated during impact of a device holding the batteries and preventing such forces from being transferred to terminal contacts of batteries held in a series configuration. Contacts of batteries connected in series are protected by use of shock absorbing spacers while a terminal end shock absorber is positioned so that the terminal end will be cushioned when a force is applied to the series configuration causing the batteries to move relative to the terminal battery.
US09368756B2
An organic electroluminescence device includes a support substrate, a first transparent electrode on the support substrate, an organic light-emitting layer on the first transparent electrode, a second transparent electrode on the organic light-emitting layer, and a high refractive index layer arranged between the support substrate and the first transparent electrode, having at least one layer having a refractive index greater than or equal to a refractive index of the support substrate, having a light dispersion portion for dispersing incident light from the organic light-emitting layer, and having a planar surface contacting the first transparent electrode.
US09368747B2
An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a substrate, an organic light-emitting device including a first electrode disposed on the substrate, a second electrode disposed opposite the first electrode, and an intermediate layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, where the intermediate layer includes an organic emission layer, and an encapsulation unit disposed on the organic light-emitting device, where at least one of the substrate and the encapsulation unit, which is disposed in an emission direction of light, includes a region having a first refractive index and a region having a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index, and the region having the first refractive index and the region having the second refractive index include materials having a same chemical formula as each other.
US09368746B2
A gas barrier thin film having a substrate, an anchoring layer, and an inorganic oxide layer, the anchoring layer including a silicon-containing organic-inorganic composite copolymer comprising a repeating unit of the formula —(SiO)n—, a repeating unit of the formula —(SiR1R2—NR3)m—, and at least one or a combination of repeating units of the formulas wherein at least one of R1, R2, and R3 is independently hydrogen, R1, R2, and R3 are each independently C1-C5 alkyl, C2-C5 alkenyl, C2-C5 alkynyl, C1-C5 alkoxyl, or C6-C15 aryl, R4, R5, R6, and R7 are each independently hydrogen, C1-C3 alkyl, C1-C3 alkoxyl, C3-C10 cycloalkyl, or C6-C15 aryl, R4 and R5 are not simultaneously hydrogen, R6 and R7 are not simultaneously hydrogen, n+m+r=1, 0
US09368734B2
Invention relates to a single step preparation of alkali metal quinolate of general formula 1 wherein M=Lithium, sodium or potassium; R=H, alkyl (C1-C6), alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, amino, amido or halogen (Cl, F, Br, I) which is substituted or unsubstituted with direct reaction of metal with 8-hydroxyquinoline. Substituted 8-hydroxyquinoline optionally have at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, amino, amido at 2, 5 or 7 position. Halogen substituted 8-hydroxyquinolates are also prepared from this method in the yield of 90-95% from polar solvents like acetonitrile. These complexes are useful as light emitting and electron injecting materials in organic electronic devices. Also the doping of these materials in electron transport materials improves their electron mobility.
US09368733B2
A compound for an organic optoelectronic device, an organic light-emitting device including the same and a display device including the organic light-emitting device are provided, and the compound for an organic optoelectronic device represented by a combination of the following Chemical Formula 1 and 2 is provided and thus an organic light-emitting device has improved life-span characteristics due to excellent electrochemical and thermal stability, and high luminous efficiency at a low driving voltage.
US09368723B2
High density films of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes having a high degree of nanotube alignment are provided. Also provided are methods of making the films and field effect transistors (FETs) that incorporate the films as conducting channel materials. The single-walled carbon nanotubes are deposited from a thin layer of organic solvent containing solubilized single-walled carbon nanotubes that is spread over the surface of an aqueous medium, inducing evaporative self-assembly upon contacting a solid substrate.
US09368706B2
A lighting apparatus includes a substrate and a semiconductor light-emitting element mounted on the substrate. The substrate includes a plate-like base member and a copper foil layer formed on part of the base member. The substrate includes a first area and a second area. The first area is an area that is provided so as to surround an element mounting area where a semiconductor light-emitting element is mounted thereon when viewed from the top of the substrate and does not include with the copper foil layer. The second area is an area that includes a part provided so as to surround the first area and the element mounting area; and where the copper foil layer formed. The substrate has a white resist layer disposed thereon that covers the first and second areas and is formed thicker on the first area than on the second area.
US09368705B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) packaging structure is provided, which includes a LED stacked layer, a first silicon substrate and a second silicon substrate. The first and second silicon substrates are respectively disposed on two opposite surfaces of the LED stacked layer. The first and second silicon substrates respectively have at least one first hollow portion and at least one second hollow portion, so as to expose the surfaces of a portion of the LED stacked layer. Light emitted by a light-emitting layer may go out through the first and second hollow portions. A method for manufacturing the LED packaging structure is also provided.
US09368704B2
A lead frame of high quality which can endure direct bonding to a light emitting element, and a light emitting device of high reliability which utilizing the lead frame. A lead frame includes a clad material which is a stacked layer of at least a first metal layer and a second metal layer, the second metal layer made of a metal which is different from the metal of the first metal layer, and a through portion. In the through-portion, an end surface of the first metal layer and an end surface of the second metal layer are covered with a plated layer. The end surface of either the first metal layer or the second metal layer protrudes farther into the through-portion than the end surface of the other metal layer.
US09368699B2
A semiconductor component includes an optoelectronic semiconductor chip and an optical element arranged on a radiation passage area of the semiconductor chip, wherein the optical element is based on a highly refractive polymer material.
US09368695B2
LED lamp systems having improved light quality are disclosed. The lamps emit more than 500 lm and more than 2% of the power in the spectral power distribution is emitted within a wavelength range from about 390 nm to about 430 nm.
US09368691B2
Disclosed is a light emitting device including a plurality of light emitting cells disposed on a substrate, at least one connection electrode for connecting the light emitting cells, and a first insulating layer disposed between adjacent light emitting cells, wherein each of the light emitting cells includes a light emitting structure including first and second conductive type semiconductor layers and an active layer, and a reflective layer disposed on the second conductive type semiconductor layer, wherein the connection electrode connects the first conductive type semiconductor layer of a first one of the adjacent light emitting cells to the reflective layer of a second one at the adjacent light emitting cells, and wherein a first width of the second conductive type semiconductor layer is the same as or greater than a second width of the reflective layer, and the first direction differs from a thickness direction of the light emitting structure.
US09368683B1
A method of making an inorganic semiconductor structure suitable for micro-transfer printing includes providing a growth substrate and forming one or more semiconductor layers on the growth substrate. A patterned release layer is formed on the conductor layer(s) and bonded to a handle substrate. The growth substrate is removed and the semiconductor layer(s) patterned to form a semiconductor mesa. A dielectric layer is formed and then patterned to expose first and second contacts and an entry portion of the release layer. A conductor layer is formed on the dielectric layer, the first contact, and the second contact and patterned to form a first conductor in electrical contact with the first contact and a second conductor in electrical contact with the second contact but electrically separate from the first conductor. At least a portion of the release layer is removed.
US09368681B2
A semiconductor light emitting device including a substrate, an electrode and a light emitting region is provided. The substrate may have protruding portions formed in a repeating pattern on substantially an entire surface of the substrate while the rest of the surface may be substantially flat. The cross sections of the protruding portions taken along planes orthogonal to the surface of the substrate may be semi-circular in shape. The cross sections of the protruding portions may in alternative be convex in shape. A buffer layer and a GaN layer may be formed on the substrate.
US09368676B2
A diode comprises nanowires compositionally graded along their lengths with an active region doped with gadolinium sandwiched between first and second compositionally graded AlxGa1-xN nanowire regions. The first graded AlxGa1-xN nanowire region is graded from gallium-rich to aluminum-rich with the compositional grading defining n-type polarization doping and the aluminum-rich end proximate the active region. The second graded AlxGa1-xN nanowire region is graded from aluminum-rich to gallium-rich with the compositional grading defining p-type polarization doping and with the aluminum rich end proximate the active region. The active region may include a GdN layer sandwiched between AlN layers, or an Al1-yGdyN layer with y≧0.5. The nanowires may be disposed on a silicon substrate having a GaN surface, with the gallium-rich end of the first graded AlxGa1-xN nanowire region proximate to the GaN surface, and a semitransparent electrical contact disposed on the gallium-rich end of the second graded AlxGa1-xN nanowire region.
US09368672B2
Various embodiments include methods of fabricating a semiconductor device that include providing a plurality of nanostructures extending away from a support, forming a flowable material layer between the nanostructures, forming a patterned mask over a first portion of the flowable material and the first portion of the plurality of nanostructures, such that a second portion of the flowable material and a second portion of the plurality of nanostructures are not located under the patterned mask and etching the second portion of the flowable material and the second portion of the plurality of nanostructures to remove the second portion of the flowable material and the second portion of the plurality of nanostructures to leave the first portion of the flowable material and the first portion of the plurality of nanostructures unetched.
US09368671B2
A method of fabricating on a semiconductor substrate bifacial tandem solar cells with semiconductor subcells having a lower bandgap than the substrate bandgap on one side of the substrate and with subcells having a higher bandgap than the substrate on the other including, first, growing a lower bandgap subcell on one substrate side that uses only the same periodic table group V material in the dislocation-reducing grading layers and bottom subcells as is present in the substrate and after the initial growth is complete and then flipping the substrate and growing the higher bandgap subcells on the opposite substrate side which can be of different group V material.
US09368670B2
Disclosed herein are embodiments of methods for making GaAs thin films, such as photovoltaic GaAs thin films. The methods disclosed herein utilize sources, precursors, and reagents that do not produce (or require) toxic gas and that are readily available and relatively low in cost. In some embodiments, the methods are readily scalable for industrial applications and can provide GaAs thin films having properties that are at least comparable to or potentially superior to GaAs films obtained from conventional methods.
US09368667B1
A field effect transistor (FET) is provided. The FET includes a first material layer, second material layer and a third material layer. The third material layer includes an n-type silicon substrate layer and a gate electrode. The gate electrode includes an insulating substrate with at least one conducting metal. The second material layer is disposed on the third material layer. The first material layer is disposed on the second material layer. A source electrode is disposed on the first material layer. A drain electrode is disposed on the first material layer. A plurality of gold nanostructures are disposed on an active channel of the FET. The plurality of gold nanostructures are electrically isolated from the source electrode, drain electrode and gate electrode. The plurality of gold nanostructures contribute to a drain current of the FET based at least in part on plasmonic absorption of photons.
US09368650B1
A SiC junction barrier controlled Schottky rectifier includes a SiC substrate, a n-type drift layer, a p-type doping region, a plurality of junction field-effect regions, a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The drift layer is disposed on the SiC substrate. The junction field-effect regions are disposed in the drift layer and are surrounded by the p-type doping region. The first metal layer is disposed on the drift layer. The second metal layer is disposed at one side of the SiC substrate away from the drift layer. Through N circular regions and (N−1) inter-circle regions each connecting two of the circular regions, as well as geometric characteristics of the circular regions and the inter-circle regions, a leakage current of devices is effectively reduced and ruggedness is increased to improve an issue of a large leakage current of a conventional Schottky barrier diode.
US09368644B2
Semiconductor devices and methods of producing the devices are disclosed. The devices are formed by forming a gate structure on a substrate. The gate structure includes a charge trapping dielectric formed between the substrate and a first poly layer. A top dielectric is formed over the poly layer and a sidewall dielectric is formed on a side of the poly layer. A second poly layer is formed over the gate structure such that a portion of the second poly layer includes a vertical portion that is in contact with the sidewall dielectric and a top portion that is in contact with the top dielectric. The top portion of the second poly layer can then be removed through, for instance, planarization.
US09368642B2
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a reliable semiconductor device comprising TFTs having a large area integrated circuit with low wiring resistance. One of the features of the present invention is that an LDD region including a region which overlaps with a gate electrode and a region which does not overlap with the gate electrode is provided in one TFT. Another feature of the present invention is that gate electrode comprises a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer and portion of the gate wiring has a clad structure comprising the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer with a low resistance layer interposed therebetween.
US09368636B2
Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a plurality of oxide semiconductor layers
A substrate having an insulating surface is prepared; a stacked film including a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the substrate; a mask layer is formed over part of the stacked film and then dry etching treatment is performed, so that the stacked film is removed, with a region provided with the mask layer remaining, and a reaction product is formed on a side surface of the remaining stacked film; the reaction product is removed by wet etching treatment after removal of the mask layer; a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed over the stacked film; and a third oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode are stacked and formed in this order over the stacked film, and the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US09368634B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) including a gate, a dielectric layer, a metal-oxide semiconductor channel, a source, and a drain is provided. The gate and the metal-oxide semiconductor channel are overlapped. The gate, the source, and the drain are separated by the dielectric layer. Besides, the source and the drain are respectively located on two opposite sides of the metal-oxide semiconductor channel. The metal-oxide semiconductor channel includes a metal-oxide semiconductor layer and a plurality of nano micro structures disposed in the metal-oxide semiconductor layer and separated from one another. In another aspect, a display panel including the TFT and a method of fabricating the TFT are also provided.
US09368629B2
An embodiment integrated circuit (e.g., diode) and method of making the same. The embodiment integrated circuit includes a well having a first doping type formed over a substrate having the first doping type, the well including a fin, a source formed over the well on a first side of the fin, the source having a second doping type, a drain formed over the well on a second side of the fin, the drain having the first doping type, and a gate oxide formed over the fin, the gate oxide laterally spaced apart from the source by a back off region of the fin. The integrated circuit is compatible with a FinFET fabrication process.
US09368628B2
An integrated circuit device includes a fin having a gate area beneath a gate electrode structure, a source/drain region disposed beyond ends of the fin, and a first conformal layer formed around an embedded portion of the source/drain region. A vertical sidewall of the first conformal layer is oriented parallel to the gate area.
US09368622B1
Principles of the present invention reduces the maximum electric field strength between a gate and a source or drain in a FET by breaking up the usually monolithic gate into a plurality of physically separate subgates that are electrically connected into one or more groups.
US09368611B2
An integrated circuit may include at least one MOS transistor having a sigmoid response. The at least one MOS transistor may include a substrate, a source region, a drain region, a gate region, and insulating spacer regions on either side of the gate region. The substrate may include a first region situated under the gate region between the insulating spacer regions. At least one of the source and drain regions may be separated from the first region of the substrate by a second region of the substrate situated under an insulating spacer region, which may be of a same type of conductivity as the first region of the substrate.
US09368609B2
A semiconductor device has a channel layer formed above a substrate, a barrier layer formed over the channel layer and having a band gap larger than that of the channel layer, a trench passing through the barrier layer as far as a midway of the channel layer, and a gate electrode disposed byway of a gate insulation film in the inside of the trench. Then, the end of the bottom of the trench is in a rounded shape and the gate insulation film in contact with the end of the bottom of the trench is in a rounded shape. By providing the end of the bottom of the trench with a roundness as described above, a thickness of the gate insulation film situated between the end of the bottom of the gate electrode and the end of the bottom of the trench can be decreased. Thus, the channel is formed also at the end of the bottom of the trench to reduce the resistance of the channel.
US09368603B2
An integrated circuit having an improved gate contact and a method of making the circuit are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving a substrate. The substrate includes a gate stack disposed on the substrate and an interlayer dielectric disposed on the gate stack. The interlayer dielectric is first etched to expose a portion of the gate electrode, and then the exposed portion of the gate electrode is etched to form a cavity. The cavity is shaped such that a portion of the gate electrode overhangs the electrode. A conductive material is deposited within the cavity and in electrical contact with the gate electrode. In some such embodiments, the etching of the gate electrode forms a curvilinear surface of the gate electrode that defines the cavity.
US09368596B2
Provided is one embodiment of a semiconductor structure that includes a STI feature, wherein the STI feature is a continuous feature and includes a first portion in a first region and a second portion in a second region, and the first portion is recessed relative to the second portion; an active region bordered by the STI feature; a gate stack disposed on the active region and extended in a first direction to the first region of the STI feature; source and drain features formed in the active region and interposed by the gate stack; and a channel formed in the active region and spanned between the source and drain features in a second direction being different from the first direction. The channel includes top portion having a width W in the first direction and two side portions each having a height H less than the width W.
US09368594B2
A bipolar junction transistor (BJT) formed using a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process flow is provided. The BJT includes an emitter fin, a base fin, and a collector fin formed on a substrate. The base fin encloses the emitter fin and collector fin encloses the emitter fin. In some embodiments, the emitter fin, base fin, and collector fin have a square shape when viewed from above and are concentric with each other.
US09368592B2
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure, including a substrate, a metal gate, a dielectric layer, and an etch stop layer. The metal gate is positioned on the substrate and possesses a first surface. The dielectric layer surrounds the metal gate and possesses a second surface. The etch stop layer is in contact with both the first surface and the second surface. The first surface is higher than the second surface. The present disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure, including forming a dummy gate on a substrate; forming a second etch stop layer over the dummy gate; forming a dielectric layer over the dummy gate; replacing the dummy gate with a metal gate; etching back the dielectric layer to form a second surface of the dielectric layer lower than a first surface of the metal gate; and forming a first etch stop layer over the metal gate and the dielectric layer.
US09368585B2
An arrangement for manufacturing a crystal of the melt of a raw material comprises: a furnace having a heating device with one or more heating elements, which are configured to generate a gradient temperature field directed along a first direction, a plurality of crucibles for receiving the melt, which are arranged within the gradient temperature field side by side, and a device for homogenizing the temperature field within a plane perpendicular to the first direction in the at least two crucibles. The arrangement further has a filling material inserted within a space between the crucibles wherein the filling shows an anisotropic heat conductivity. Additionally or alternatively, the arrangement may comprise a device for generating magnetic migration fields, both the filling material having the anisotropic heat conductivity and the device for generating magnetic migration fields being suited to compensate or prevent the formation of asymmetric phase interfaces upon freezing of the raw melt.
US09368571B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an element isolating trench structure that includes an element isolating trench formed in one main surface of the semiconductor substrate, an insulating material that is formed within the element isolating trench, element formation regions that are surrounded by the element isolating trench, and semiconductor elements that are respectively formed in the element formation regions. The element isolating trench includes first element isolating trenches extending in a first direction, second element isolating trenches extending in a second direction that are at a right angle to the first direction, and third element isolating trenches extending in a third direction inclined at an angle θ (0°<θ<90°) from the first direction.
US09368569B1
A method for forming a semiconductor device comprises, forming a fin on a semiconductor substrate, forming spacers adjacent to the fin, etching to remove exposed portions of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the spacers to form a trench adjacent to the spacers, removing the spacers, implanting dopants in the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the fin and in the trench, and performing an annealing process to diffuse the dopants in the semiconductor substrate and form a punch through stopper region below the fin that includes the dopants.
US09368566B2
Some features pertain to an integrated device (e.g., package-on-package (PoP) device) that includes a substrate, a first die, a first encapsulation layer, a first redistribution portion, a second die, a second encapsulation layer, and a second redistribution portion. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface. The substrate includes a capacitor. The first die is coupled to the first surface of the substrate. The first encapsulation layer encapsulates the first die. The first redistribution portion is coupled to the first encapsulation. The second die is coupled to the second surface of the substrate. The second encapsulation layer encapsulates the second die. The second redistribution portion is coupled to the second encapsulation layer.
US09368565B2
A method is provided for manufacturing a semiconductor device with a metal film resistor structure. The method includes providing an insulation layer on the semiconductor device. A lower copper interconnect is formed in the insulation layer. The method also includes forming a cap layer on the insulation layer and the lower copper interconnect and etching the cap layer based on a single photolithography mask to form a window exposing portion of the lower copper interconnect and portion of the insulation layer. Further, the method includes forming a metal film layer on the cap layer and inside the window such that exposed portion of the lower copper interconnect is connected with part of the metal film layer within the window. The method also includes performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to form a metal film resistor based on the metal film layer. The metal film resistor is connected with the portion of the lower copper interconnect.
